Association of MMP-3 5A/6A gene polymorphism with susceptibility to carotid atherosclerosis

Objectives Stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) as a key member of metalloproteinase family could have an important role in atherogenesis. The 5A/6A polymorphism in the promoter of MMP-3 gene affects the level of MMP-3 gene expression. We assessed whether the MMP-3 promoter low- and high-activity genotypes are related to susceptibility for carotid atherosclerosis (CA) in Serbian population. Design and methods The study group of case-control design consisted of 515 participants. The 265 patients with ultrasonographic evidence of carotid plaque presence were recruited for the study. The 5A/6A polymorphism was typed by RFLP-PCR. Results There was significantly higher prevalence of genotypes containing 6A allele in the patients with CA compared to controls (p < 0.05). The model of inheritance with the dominant effect of 6A allele gave elevated and significant OR for carotid atherosclerosis (adjusted OR 2.35, CI = 1.0–5.5, p = 0.048). Conclusions Subjects carrying genotypes with 6A allele had significantly higher susceptibility to carotid atherosclerosis.