Associations for lipoprotein lipase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma gene and coronary artery disease in an Indian population

Background and aims: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) genes are important in pathways of triglyceride metabolism, insulin resistance and adipogenesis. We hypothesized that polymorphisms of PPARgamma Pro12Ala, LPL HindIII and LPL Ser447X influence severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in an Indian population.

Methods: PPARgamma Pro12Ala, LPL HindIII and LPL Ser447X polymorphisms were genotyped in 414 patients with CAD and matched with 424 controls. The study subjects were inducted after standard diagnostic procedures and analyzed statistically for the association of polymorphisms with clinical characteristics.

Results: We found that PPARgamma alleles were not associated with CAD among Indians although proline carriers had significantly higher levels of HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.03) among CAD patients. The LPL HindIII also had no significant correlations for CAD or for any clinical characteristics. The Ser447X polymorphism (p = 0.015) influenced lower triglyceride levels among CAD patients with significant associations (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.483-0.915, p = 0.012). This protective effect of the 447X allele was more pronounced among the CAD patients without the risk factor of diabetes (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.403-0.907, p = 0.014) along with less progression of a severe atherosclerotic disease.

Conclusions: PPARgamma and LPL have intractable roles in pathways that lead to CAD, but their gene polymorphisms associate differently. Our results imply a significant correlation of Ser447X polymorphism and its protective effect on Indians against severity of CAD modified by the risk of diabetes, than LPL HindIII and PPARgamma Pro12Ala.