Promoter (4G/5G) Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Genotype and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Levels in Blacks, Hispanics, and Non-Hispanic Whites

Abstract

Background— The 4G/5G polymorphism of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene has been related to cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results— Insulin resistance was measured with a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS), and PAI-1 4G/5G promoter genotype was established by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA. There were 287 subjects with the 4G/4G genotype (18.4%), 691 heterozygote subjects (44.2%), and 586 carriers of the 5G/5G genotype (37.5%). The genotype distribution was different across the 3 ethnic groups ( P =0.001). PAI-1 levels were lower in blacks than in non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics and lower in non-Hispanic whites than in Hispanics (all P =0.0001). Subjects homozygous for the 4G allele had the highest plasma PAI-1, heterozygote subjects were intermediate, and 5G homozygotes had the lowest levels of PAI-1. These patterns remained unaffected by adjustments for age, gender, clinical center, glucose tolerance status, body mass index, waist, triglycerides, and insulin resistance. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the 4G/5G genotype explained very little of the variation in PAI-1 levels (0.63% in non-Hispanic whites, 0.99% in Hispanics, and 2.37% in blacks), and interaction analyses revealed no significant differences in the relation of circulating PAI-1 levels to the 4G/5G genotype by ethnicity ( P =0.4). Conclusions— We have shown ethnic differences in the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism along with corresponding differences in circulating PAI-1 levels. The association of the genotype with PAI-1 levels was seen consistently among all 3 ethnic groups and was unaffected by metabolic covariates, including insulin resistance.