Gene Promoter Region Polymorphism With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Correlation APOC3 Start

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the association between two polymorphisms of apolipoprotein C3(APOC3) and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Chinese Han population.METHODS:Genotypes for rs2854116and rs2854117in APOC3and the known rs738409in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein3(PNPLA3) in390patients with NAFLD and409control subjects were determined by sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Distributions of the genotypes of these two polymorphisms were in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the NAFLD and control groups. Serum lipid profiles were determined using biochemical methods and an index of insulin resistance (IR, HOMA-IR), serum APOC3concentrations and total antioxidant status (TAS) were also assessed. All results were carried out independent of the genetic variation in PNPLA3. Linkage disequilibrium between the rs2854116and rs2854117SNPs was calculated using Haploview software and was shown as D’. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software, version17.0for Windows.RESULTS:No significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies of rs2854116and rs2854117were found between the NAFLD population and the controls (P>0.05).The odds ratio (OR) for the association between-455C and-482T allele carriers and the risk of NAFLD were1.06(95%CI:0.72-1.57,P>0.05) and1.00(95%CI:0.68-1.48, P>0.05), respectively.There was strong linkage disequilibrium between T-455C and C-482T with D’=0.943.The variant carriers did not have a significantly increased risk of NAFLD or elevated clinical and biochemical parameters such as APOC3concentrations (13.94±2.01vs.14.38±1.92, P>0.05), IR (1.42±0.43vs.1.48±0.52, P>0.05), liver enzymes and TAS (13.94±2.01vs.14.38±1.92, P>0.05) compared with the controls. Moreover, the results were similar when testing was carried out independent of the genetic variation in PNPLA3.CONCLUSION:The two polymorphisms of the APOC3gene are not associated with a risk of NAFLD, or with lipid profiles, IR and oxidative stress in the Han population of Qingdao.