Both rare and common variants in PCSK9 influence plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in American Indians

Context: Elevated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Variants in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) gene have been associated not only with plasma LDL-C concentration, but also with ischemic heart disease. Little is known about the genetic architecture of PCSK9 and its influence on LDL-C in American Indians. Objective: We aimed to investigate the genetic architecture in the 1p32 region encompassing PCSK9 and its influence on LDL-C in American Indians. Design: The Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS) is a family-based genetic study. Participants: Two thousand four hundred fifty eight American Indians from Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota, who were genotyped by Illumina MetaboChip. Results: We genotyped 486 SNPs in a 3.9 Mb region at chromosome 1p32 encompassing PCSK9 in 2458 American Indians. We examined the association between these SNPs and LDL-C. For common variants (MAF ≥ 1%), meta-analysis across the t...