The role of FABP2 gene polymorphism in alcoholic cirrhosis

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia and dietary lipids have been suggested to modulate the severity of alcoholic liver disease and the progression to alcoholic cirrhosis (AC). The intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) is the main transporter of dietary fatty acids into the enterocyte and has a genetic polymorphism, FABP2 A54T that has been associated with hypertriglyceridemia. We determined the frequency of the FABP2 gene polymorphism using PCR-RFLP and measured serum triglycerides, HDL, LDL, total lipids and cholesterol in 67 patients with AC and in 124 unrelated healthy individuals. Frequencies of genotypes and alleles were similar between the two groups. The healthy subjects, who were homozygous for the Thr54 genotype had significantly higher mean triglyceride serum concentrations than those homozygous for the Ala54 genotype (P<0.05). However, AC patients who were homozygous for the Thr54 genotype, had lower mean triglyceride serum concentrations (P<0.01), and had a significantly longer period of continued alcohol abuse prior to the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis compared to the AC patients homozygous for the Ala54 genotype (P<0.05). Our data suggests that the polymorphism Thr54 of the FABP2 gene is associated with a later onset of AC in the lower economic status Mexican population studied.