Study of rs1137101 polymorphism of leptin receptor gene with serum levels of selenium and copper in the patients of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in an Iranian population

NSTEMI is a type of myocardial infarction (MI) causing partial but progressive occlusion of cardiac
coronary vessels. The aim of this study was to investigate rs1137101 polymorphism of soluble leptin receptor
(sLEPR) as well as circulatory selenium and copper levels in NSTEMI patients and their usefulness in analyzing
susceptibility to NSTEMI.
Methods: We collected sera and whole blood of 80 NSTEMI patients and 80 healthy individuals using cTnI levels
plus electrocardiography as the “gold standard”. Polymorphism analysis was done after DNA extraction by highresolution
melt PCR, selenium and copper levels by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and sLEPR by ELISA.
Results and discution: There was Hardy-Weinberg (HWE) equilibrium for both patient and control loci
(χ2=0.368434509 and 0.341447368, respectively). The frequencies of A/A, A/G, and G/G genotypes were 18
(22%), 37 (46%), and 25 (31%) for patients, and 30 (38%), 36 (45%), and 14 (18%) for healthy controls,
respectively. The frequencies of A and G alleles were 73 (46%) and 87 (54%) for patients and 96 (60%) and 64
(40%) for control groups. There was correlation between allele G and sLEPR level and Body Mass Index (BMI).
Selenium levels were lower in patient group than control group (66.307 ± 11.013 against
87.488 ± 11.839 μg/L; p < 0.001) but copper concentrations were higher (1.8105 ± 0.358 against
1.366 ± 0.454 mg/L; p < 0.001). sLEPR levels were also higher in patient than control group
(30.568 ± 3.290 against 23.740 ± 5.457 ng/dL; p < .001). Low selenium and high copper concentration had
positive diagnostic value for disease.
Conclusion: We find for the first time that there is a significant association between rs1137101 polymorphism
and susceptibility to NSTEMI. There is also statistically meaningful association between decrease in serum selenium
and increase in serum copper levels with susceptibility to NSTEMI