Polymorphisms in IL-10 and INF-γ genes are associated with early atherosclerosis in coronary but not in carotid arteries: A study of 122 autopsy cases of young adults

• Twelve SNPs were associated with atherosclerosis severity in autopsied young adults.
• We found high prevalence of type III lesions in coronary and carotid arteries.
• Even severe lesions (types IV and V) were found in DA (14%) and CA (33%) arteries.
• Lesion severity was associated with IL-10 and IFN-γ genotype.
• The association was observed only in coronary, but not in carotid artery.

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease, involving both genetic and environmental factors. However, the influence of genetic variations on its early development remains unclear. This study examined the association of 12 different polymorphisms with atherosclerosis severity in anterior descending coronary (DA, n = 103) and carotid arteries (CA, n = 66) of autopsied young adults (< 30 years old). Histological sections (H-E) were classified according to the American Heart Association. Polymorphisms in ACE, TNF-α (− 308G/A and − 238 G/A), IFN-γ (+ 874 A/T), MMP-9 (− 1562 C/T), IL-10 (− 1082 A/G and − 819 C/T), NOS3 (894 G/T), ApoA1 (rs964184), ApoE (E2E3E4 isoforms), and TGF-β (codons 25 and 10) genes were genotyped by gel electrophoresis or automatic DNA sequencing. Firearm projectile or car accident was the main cause of death, and no information about classical risk factors was available. Histological analysis showed high prevalence of type III atherosclerotic lesions in both DA (69%) and CA (39%) arteries, while severe type IV and V lesions were observed in 14% (DA) and 33% (CA). Allele frequencies and genotype distributions were determined. Among the polymorphisms studied, IFN-γ and IL-10 (− 1082 A/G) were related to atherosclerosis severity in DA artery. No association between genotypes and lesion severity was found in CA. In conclusion, we observed that the high prevalence of early atherosclerosis in young adults is associated with IFN-γ (p < 0.001) and IL-10 (p = 0.013) genotypes. This association is blood vessel dependent. Our findings suggest that the vascular system presents site specialization, and specific genetic variations may provide future biomarkers for early disease identification.