BackgroundIt has been reported that rs940494 and rs805296 SNPs of apolipoprotein M (apoM) gene may confer the risk in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Han Chinese. However, a recent study demonstrated that rs805297 polymorphism is significantly associated with reduced total high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients. But the relationship between rs805297 SNP and CAD has not been explored. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the rs805297 mutant allele is implicated in CAD and links to changes in blood lipid levels in these patients.MethodsThree hundred CAD patients and three hundred and twelve non-CAD patients were subjected in the present study. All subjects were confirmed by the angiography. Plasma concentrations of apoM were semi-quantitatively determined by dot-blotting analysis, and total serum lipid levels were quantified using an automated RA-1000 (Technician, USA). The genotyping of rs805297 of apoM was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP).ResultsGenotype and allele frequencies were not significant (P = 0.5798 and 0.3834, respectively) between cases and controls. Compared with the wild-type C/C genotype, carriers of the C/A and A/A genotypes did not have an increased risk of CAD, as determined by multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, history of smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. (CA, odds ratio = 0.49, 95% confidence interval 0.15–1.87, P = 0.462; AA, odds ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.13–1.68, P = 0.534). The plasma concentration levels of apoM did not differ significantly among carriers of the three genotypes between two groups. Lastly, control subjects with A/A genotypes had lower total levels of HDL cholesterol than did those with C/C genotypes.ConclusionsThe results presented here suggest that the rs805297 SNP is not associated with an increased risk of developing CAD, although it does independently correlate with dyslipidaemia in Han Chinese individuals.