Genetic polymorphisms in LDLR, APOB, PCSK9 and other lipid related genes associated with familial hypercholesterolemia in Malaysia

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 8;8(4):e60729. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060729. Print 2013.

Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by elevations in total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc). Development of FH can result in the increase of risk for premature cardiovascular diseases (CVD). FH is primarily caused by genetic variations in Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor (LDLR), Apolipoprotein B (APOB) or Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) genes. Although FH has been extensively studied in the Caucasian population, there are limited reports of FH mutations in the Asian population. We investigated the association of previously reported genetic variants that are involved in lipid regulation in our study cohort. A total of 1536 polymorphisms previously implicated in FH were evaluated in 141 consecutive patients with clinical FH (defined by the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria) and 111 unrelated control subjects without FH using high throughput microarray genotyping platform. Fourteen Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be significantly associated with FH, eleven with increased FH risk and three with decreased FH risk. Of the eleven SNPs associated with an increased risk of FH, only one SNP was found in the LDLR gene, seven in the APOB gene and three in the PCSK9 gene. SNP rs12720762 in APOB gene is associated with the highest risk of FH (odds ratio 14.78, p<0.001). Amongst the FH cases, 108 out of 141 (76.60%) have had at least one significant risk-associated SNP. Our study adds new information and knowledge on the genetic polymorphisms amongst Asians with FH, which may serve as potential markers in risk prediction and disease management.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Apolipoproteins B / genetics*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / genetics*
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / metabolism*
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / pathology
  • Lipid Metabolism / genetics*
  • Malaysia
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Proprotein Convertase 9
  • Proprotein Convertases / genetics*
  • Receptors, LDL / genetics*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics*

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins B
  • LDLR protein, human
  • Receptors, LDL
  • PCSK9 protein, human
  • Proprotein Convertase 9
  • Proprotein Convertases
  • Serine Endopeptidases

Grants and funding

The research reported in this research article has been funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), the government of Malaysia (grant number 36-02-03-6058). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.