Effect of the liver x receptor alpha gene polymorphism on the lipid profile in an Iranian population

Background and aims: Low HDL-C concentration, high cholesterol level and high blood pressure are risk factors for metabolic disorder related disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of polymorphism of the LXRα gene on lipid profile, blood pressure and BMI in Iranian population to investigate the interaction between these polymorphisms and environmental factors in determining susceptibility to metabolic disorder related disease.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 488 subjects (169 men and 315 women) of Mashhad. Biochemical parameters including Triglyceride, cholesterol, FBS, HDL-C levels and its subtractions were determined and body mass index and blood pressure were measured. The rs11039155 variant of LXRα gene was genotyped by TaqMan real time PCR, using DNA extracted from collected blood samples by standard methods.Results: Frequencies obtained for the G and A alleles were 81.0 % and 19.0% respectively. The GG, GA and AA genotype frequencies were 65.70%, 30.17% and 4.13% respectively, and genotype distribution were in conformity with Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. The carriers of the A alleles especially those with AA genotype had higher BMI and total Cholesterol levels than other, in women. Conclusion: The observed genotype and allele frequencies showed to be associated with BMI and total cholesterol levels in women. This study suggested that the variant genotype of LXRα could increase the risk of metabolic disorder related disease and could be a potential marker for identifying the susceptible individuals to disease. Further association studies with larger population are needed to arrive at any definite conclusions.

Liver X Receptor Alpha, Polymorphism, Metabolic Disorders, Genotype