Polymorphism of HL +1075C, but not −480T, is associated with plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI in men of a Chinese population

Eight hundred and twenty-three Chinese Han adults aged over 40, including 466 men and 357 women were enrolled in the study to examine the association of +1075C and −480T polymorphisms in hepatic lipase gene with plasma lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels. In this population the allele frequencies for HL +1075C and −480T were 0.053 and 0.362, respectively and the prevalence of HL +1075C/C and −480T/T were 0.006 and 0.132, respectively. Overall, the normal HDL-C (≥35 mg/dl) subjects had a higher carrier frequency of HL +1075C than the low HDL-C (<35 mg/dl) subjects (0.108 vs 0.029, P=0.039). However, when tested separately, the carrier frequency of HL +1075C was not significantly different between normal and low HDL-C females (0.101 vs 0.083, P=0.843). In males, the normal HDL-C subjects had a higher carrier frequency of HL +1075C than the low HDL-C subjects (0.113 vs 0.018, P=0.026). No significant difference of frequencies of HL −480T genotypes −480T/T, −480C/T and −480C/C was found between normal and low HDL-C subjects. Among plasma TG, TC, HDL-C, apo AI, apo AII, apo B100, apo CII, Apo CIII and apoE, only HDL-C and apo AI were significantly different among the three genotypes +1075A/A, +1075A/C and +1075C/C in men (P=0.029 and 0.032). No association was found in women. Male subjects with CC had a higher HDL-C than those with AC (P=0.020) and AA (P=0.013), AC higher than AA (P=0.017). Male subjects with CC had a higher apo AI than AC (P=0.013) and AA (P=0.019), AC higher than AA (P=0.021). Although not so significant (P=0.053) as HDL-C and apo AI, male subjects with CC had a higher apo AII than those with AC and AA. No significant difference of lipoprotein and apolipoprotein traits was found among the three −480T genotypes −480C/C, −480C/T and −480T/T, in the sample overall and in men and women separately. These results indicate that HL +1075C, not −480T polymorphism is associated with plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI in men in this Chinese population.