Objective: To investigate the association between the polymorphism of potassium voltage-gated channel, Isk-related family, member 1 (KCNE1) gene and atrial fibrillation (AF) in Uigur patients of Xinjiang.
Methods: Three hundred and three patients with atrial fibrillation and 328 healthy controls were tested for the genotype for the KCNE1 gene SNP in the rs1805127 locus by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The risk factors were also included.
Results: The genotype frequencies of AA, AG and GG were 0.092 (28/303), 0.386 (117/303) and 0.522 (158/303) in the AF patients while they were 0.122(40/328), 0.485 (159/328) and 0.393 (129/328) in controls. There was significant difference in frequencies of the three genotypes (chi-square was 10.465, P=0.005) and G allele (0.715 vs. 0.636, chi-square was 8.907, P=0.003) between the AF and control groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the KCNE1 polymorphism was the main risk factor of AF in Uigur population. The OR value of genotype GG was 1.55, the 95% CI: 0.73-3.27.
Conclusion: For Uigur population, genetic polymorphism of rs1805127 locus of the KCNE1 gene may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.