Phenotype distribution of the paraoxonase gene in patients with cardiac disease

INTRODUCTION Paraoxonase (PON1) is an enigmatic enzyme with multiple enzymatic properties including arylesterase and lactonase activities besides its ability to hydrolyze the toxic metabolite of parathion, paraoxon. The aim of this study was to determine the phenotype distribution of PON1 in patients with cardiac disease who were classified in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), heart valve disease (HVD), heart failure (HF) and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) groups and healthy subjects as a control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 300 people (100 cardiac surgery (70 CABG and 30 HVD), 70 HF, 30 STEMI patients and 100 healthy controls) were admitted to this study. Individual variations in PON1 were determined using the dual substrate (paraoxon and phenylacetate) method. RESULTS The following phenotype distributions were found in the cardiac disease and control groups: cardiac disease group (n = 200): 48.5% (QQ), 42.5% (QR), 9% (RR) and control group (n = 100): 58% (QQ), 39% (QR), 3% (RR). RR (high activity) phenotypic distribution was more common in the cardiac disease group than in controls (p = 0.04). In particular, the frequency of the RR phenotype was two- to three-fold higher in the STEMI and HF patients compared to the controls as well as CABG and HVD groups. CONCLUSIONS We found a higher percentage of RR phenotype in STEMI and HF patients compared to a large control group as well as compared to two other groups of cardiac disease patients.