Association between LPA rs6415084 and rs6919346 variants and serum lipoprotein(a) levels amongst apparently healthy individuals

Abstract

Introduction: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) synthesised by the liver consists of low-density lipoprotein which contains apoB-100 linked to apolipoprotein(a) (apo[a]) by disulphide bridge. LPA gene codes for highly polymorphic apo(a). The serum Lp(a) levels are highly varied amongst individuals and ethnicities, which could be attributed to the genetic polymorphisms present in LPA gene. Hence, this study aimed to analyse the association between LPA genetic variants, rs6415084 and rs6919346, with serum Lp(a) levels in apparently healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 56 apparently healthy subjects were recruited after obtaining informed consent. Serum Lp(a) levels were measured by immunoturbidimetric assay, and the genotyping of the variants was determined by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Spearman's correlation test was used to find the association between single-nucleotide polymorphism and serum Lp(a). P < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results: The median level of serum Lp(a) amongst the study subjects was found to be 26.75 mg/dL, which is higher in males (35.50 mg/dL) when compared to females (21.85 mg/dL). The analysis of LPA gene variant rs6415084 showed 58.9% of the subjects with computed tomography (CT) genotype, 17.85% with CC and 5.3% with TT genotype. In the case of the rs6919346 variant, 80% of the subjects had CC genotype, 8.9% with CT and 5.3% with TT genotype. Conclusion: Overall, a weak significant association was observed between heterozygous alleles of LPA gene variant rs6415084 with increased serum Lp(a) level.