Association of Adiponectin Gene Polymorphisms With the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Chinese Han Population

Cardiovascular events are an independent risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is the leading cause of mortality in NAFLD patients. Several recent studies demonstrated that adiponectin (Ad) polymorphisms were involved in the progression of NAFLD and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, reports on the association between Ad polymorphisms and the risk of developing CAD in NAFLD patients are lacking in a Northern Han Chinese population.
The present study was designed to evaluate the association between Ad gene polymorphisms (rs266729 and rs2241766) and the risk of developing CAD in Northern Han Chinese patients with NAFLD.
In this case-control study, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Adrs266729 and rs2241766 gene polymorphisms were genotyped in B-type ultrasonography-proven NAFLD patients, with (n = 246) or without (n = 247) CAD and in healthy controls (n = 304). Serum lipid profiles were determined using biochemical methods. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 17.0 statistical software.
There were significant differences in the Adrs266729 G allele between the NAFLD patients with and without CAD (P In this Northern Chinese Han population, the Adrs266729 and rs2241766 G alleles were closely associated with the occurrence of NAFLD. However, only NAFLD patients who carried the Adrs266729 G allele had an increased risk of developing CAD.