Inflammatory response of coronary artery disease postmenopausal women is associated with the IVS1-397T > C estrogen receptor α polymorphism

We analyzed the relationship between the IVS1-397T > C polymorphism of estrogen receptor α gene and inflammatory response of eighty postmenopausal women with an established coronary artery disease (CAD). We found that the IVS1-397T allele carriers exhibited an enhanced inflammatory response in vivo and in vitro. These patients had a higher number of total monocytes and their CD14+CD16+ inflammatory subset in relation to CC homozygotes. The CT and TT women's LPS-stimulated whole blood cell cultures produced more IL6 and TNFα than did the cultures of CC women. Moreover, significantly more of the T allele patients had major post-coronary artery bypass grafting complications and less of them experienced subjective angina pectoris improvement. Summarizing, the IVS1-397T > C polymorphism allows us to identify a group of postmenopausal women with the strong inflammatory response which is associated with a higher incidence of the major post-CABG adverse cardiovascular complications.