The C677T Mutation of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Is Not Associated with the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease or Venous Thrombosis among Chinese in Taiwan

Abstract
Objectives: We sought to investigate the association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T mutation and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI) and venous thrombosis (VT) in a Chinese population in Taiwan. Methods: The subjects included 218 CAD patients, 107 VT patients, and their age- and sex-matched controls. DNA was extracted from the blood and genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping with HinfI and gel electrophoresis. Results: The distribution of MTHFR genotypes was similar in the CAD cases and controls; the genotype TT was present in 6.0% of CAD patients, as compared to 6.9% of CAD control subjects (p = 0.165; odds ratio = 0.86; 95% confidence interval = 0.40–1.85). The frequency of the T allele was also similar in CAD cases and controls (25.5% vs. 24.8%; p = 0.788). There was no significant association between TT homozygosity and the risk of MI. The genotype distributions and the frequency of the T allele were also similar in VT cases and controls. Conclusions: Our data suggest that there is no association between the C677T mutation of the human MTHFR gene and the risk of CAD or VT among Chinese in Taiwan.