We interrogated the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D (Coronary ARtery DIsease Genome wide Replication and Meta-analysis [CARDIoGRAM] plus The Coronary Artery Disease [C4D] Genetics) (60 801 cases and 123 504 controls), the MIGen and CARDIoGRAM Exome consortia (42 335 cases and 78 240 controls), and Exome Sequencing Project and Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction (ESP EOMI; 4703 cases and 5090 controls) data sets to ascertain the relationship between common, low frequency, and rare variation in CCR2, CCR5, or CX3CR1 with CAD and MI.
The results suggest a coordinated mechanism for inflammatory cell accumulation in plaque and identify novel targets, such as CCR2 and CX3CR1, for potential drug development in coronary artery disease.
In this respect, increased expression of MCP-1 and the corresponding receptor CCR2 have been demonstrated in renal transplant rejection and coronary artery disease.
We investigated the role of these polymorphisms together with the chemokine SDF-1-801A and the chemokine receptors CCR2-64I and CCR5Delta32 mutations in 318 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) referred to coronary bypass surgery, comparing them with 320 healthy controls.