Objective: The main function of hepatic lipase (HL) with respect to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is hydrolysis of phospholipids and triglycerides. The -514C-->T polymorphism in the promoter region of the hepatic lipase gene affects HL activity. We aimed to investigate the association between the frequency of the -514C-->T polymorphism of hepatic lipase (PHL) and CAD in the East Anatolian region of Turkey.
Methods and results: We conducted a case-control study in 302 unrelated subjects who were referred for coronary angiography. One hundred fifty-one patients with angiographically documented CAD and one hundred fifty-one subjects without angiographically documented CAD were studied to examine the association of the frequency of the -514C-->T polymorphism with CAD. Genotyping was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The PCR products were analysed for the -514C-->T polymorphism by enzyme digestion. The frequency of the -514C-->T polymorphism was found in 20 of 151 (13.2%) patients with CAD and in 9 of 151 (6%) of the control subjects (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in terms of smoking (P = 0.001), gender (P < 0.05), total cholesterol levels (P < 0.05) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (P < 0.01) but there was no association with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, family history of CAD and HDL levels in the PHL (+) and PHL (-) patients with CAD.
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the -514C-->T polymorphism of the hepatic lipase gene could act as a risk factor in the development of CAD in the East Anatolian region of Turkey as well as male gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a positive family history of CAD.