ADAMTS7 and ZC3HC1 Share Genetic Predisposition to Coronary Artery Disease and Large Artery Ischemic Stroke.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke (IS) are commonly considered distinct disease phenotypes. However, there is some evidence in favor of a degree of overlap between genetic susceptibility to CAD and genetic risk factors for IS. In the present study, we aimed to examine the role of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs3825807 and rs11556924, located in the ADAMTS7 and ZC3HC1 genes, respectively, associated with CAD in published GWASs in European populations and their possible contribution to the development of coronary atherosclerosis and cerebral LA atherosclerosis in a case-control study of an the Iranian population. The sample size was 400, and the methodology for SNP genotyping was ARMS-PCR. Both SNPs showed strong associations with CAD in the analyses comparing significant CAD and myocardial infarction (MI) with controls. None of them, however, were associated with MI in patients with significant CAD. Our findings further support the role of the ADAMTS7 locus in promoting atherosclerosis in LAs of the brain. Regarding ZC3HC1 rs11556924, our study further supports the observed association of rs11556924 with LA IS coming from previous GWASs. In conclusion, the data showed that common variants in ADAMTS7 and ZC3HC1 genes contribute to an increased risk for both CAD and LA (atherosclerotic) IS.