Association of rs5888 SNP in the scavenger receptor class B type 1 gene and serum lipid levels

Dong-Feng Wu,Jin-Zhen Wu,Xi-Jiang Hu,Shang-Ling Pan,Lin Miao,Ting-Ting Yan,Rui-Xing Yin,Qing Li,Xiao-Li Cao,Lynn Htet Htet Aung

doi:10.1186/1476-511x-11-50

Abstract

BackgroundBai Ku Yao is a special subgroup of the Yao minority in China. The present study was undertaken to detect the association of rs5888 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) gene and several environmental factors with serum lipid levels in the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations.MethodsA total of 598 subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 585 subjects of Han Chinese were randomly selected from our stratified randomized cluster samples. Genotypes of the SCARB1 rs5888 SNP were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism combined with gel electrophoresis, and then confirmed by direct sequencing.ResultsThe levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI were lower but ApoB was higher in Bai Ku Yao than in Han (P < 0.05-0.001). The frequencies of C and T alleles were 78.3% and 21.7% in Bai Ku Yao, and 73.7% and 26.3% in Han (P < 0.01); respectively. The frequencies of CC, CT and TT genotypes were 60.0%, 36.6% and 3.4% in Bai Ku Yao, and 54.2%, 39.0% and 6.8% in Han (P < 0.01); respectively. The subjects with TT genotype in both ethnic groups had lower HDL-C and ApoAI levels than the subjects with CC or CT genotype (P < 0.05 for all). Subgroup analyses showed that the subjects with TT genotype in Bai Ku Yao had lower HDL-C and ApoAI levels in males than the subjects with CC or CT genotype (P < 0.05 for all), and the T allele carriers had higher TC, LDL-C and ApoB levels in females than the T allele noncarriers (P < 0.05 for all). The participants with TT genotype in Han also had a lower tendency of HDL-C and ApoAI levels in males than the participants with CC or CT genotype, but the difference did not reach statistically significant (P = 0.063 and P = 0.086; respectively). The association of serum HDL-C and ApoAI levels and genotypes was confirmed by the multiple linear regression analysis in both ethnic groups. Serum lipid parameters were also correlated with several environmental factors.ConclusionsThe differences in serum lipid levels between the two ethnic groups might partially attribute to the differences in the SCARB1 rs5888 SNP and several environmental factors.

Highlights

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality despite therapeutic advances that control many risk factors such as lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to levels lower than previously possible [1]
When analysis of covariance was stratified according to sex in both ethnic groups, we found that the subjects with TT genotype in Bai Ku Yao had lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and ApoAI levels in males than the subjects with CC or CT genotype (P < 0.05 for all), and the T allele carriers had higher total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C and ApoB levels in females than the T allele noncarriers (P < 0.05 for all)
When multiple linear regression analysis was performed according to sex in both ethnic groups, we found that the levels of HDL-C and ApoAI in Bai Ku Yao were correlated with genotypes in males (P < 0.05 for each, Table 4) but not in females

Summary

Introduction

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality despite therapeutic advances that control many risk factors such as lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to levels lower than previously possible [1]. Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are considered as a major determinant of susceptibility to coronary atherosclerosis in the general population [2,3]. A low plasma HDL-C level is the most common lipid abnormality found in families with premature coronary atherosclerosis [2]. The metabolism of HDL-C is complex, with many factors influencing its circulating plasma levels, both genetic and non-genetic. A number of variants in candidate genes have been implicated in the regulation of plasma HDL-C levels [7,8]. The present study was undertaken to detect the association of rs5888 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) gene and several environmental factors with serum lipid levels in the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations

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