Genome-wide association studies have conclusively linked the ABO locus to pancreatic cancer, venous thromboembolism, and myocardial infarction in the presence of coronary atherosclerosis.
Identification of ADAMTS7 as a novel locus for coronary atherosclerosis and association of ABO with myocardial infarction in the presence of coronary atherosclerosis: two genome-wide association studies.
Risk loci for ischemic stroke and its subtypes have been implicated in atrial fibrillation (PITX2 and ZFHX3), coronary artery disease (ABO, chr9p21, HDAC9, and ALDH2), blood pressure (ALDH2 and HDAC9), pericyte and smooth muscle cell development (FOXF2), coagulation (HABP2), carotid plaque formation (MMP12), and neuro-inflammation (TSPAN2).
Since distinct genome-wide association studies linked the ABO gene with myocardial infarction (MI) in the presence of coronary atherosclerosis and with coronary artery disease, these findings may not only enhance our understanding of adhesion molecule biology, but may also provide a focus for several novel research avenues.
The present study demonstrates that blood type O was independently and positively associated with an open culprit artery in patients with AMI, suggesting that the ABO blood type is not only associated with the susceptibility to coronary artery disease but also to spontaneous reperfusion in AMI patients.