Common sequence variants in CD36 gene and the levels of triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among ethnic Chinese in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

Evidence of the genetic association between CD36 candidate gene and the risk of metabolic syndrome and its components has been inconsistent. This case-control study assessed the haplotype-tagged SNPs from CD36 on the risk of metabolic syndrome and components.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We recruited 1,000 cases and age, gender-matched controls were randomly selected from the participants with metabolic syndrome defined by International Diabetes Federation. Overall, the haplotype tagged SNPs of CD36 gene were not related to the risk of metabolic syndrome. For individuals with normal lipid levels, several SNPs were significantly associated with the triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol levels: Subjects with rs3211848 homozygote had a higher triglyceride level (99.16 ± 2.61 mg/dL), compared with non-carriers (89.27 ± 1.45 mg/dL, P = 0.001). In addition, compared with non-carriers, individuals with rs1054516 heterozygous and homozygous genotypes had a significantly lower HDL-cholesterol (46.6 ± 0.46 mg/dL for non-carrier, 44.6 ± 0.36 mg/dL for heterozygous, and 44.3 ± 0.56 mg/dL for homozygous, P = 0.0008).

CONCLUSION

The CD36 gene variants were significantly associated with triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol concentrations among ethnic Chinese in Taiwan.