Polymorphisms of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein gene and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Koreans.
BACKGROUND
The pathogenesis of fatty liver is likely to depend on a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors. We investigated a large-scale analysis of the association between microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) polymorphism in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.


METHODS
Five hundred and eighty-eight patients who visited the health promotion center were enrolled. To elucidate the possible role of genetic variation affecting triglyceride metabolism in fatty liver disease, the MTTP-I128T and PEMT-V175M polymorphisms were studied.


RESULTS
The I/I genotype and I allele frequency of MTTP polymorphism with alcoholic fatty liver was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (P=0.026 vs. 0.005). Genotype and allele frequency of PEMT, however, did not show a significant difference between control and fatty liver. I/I genotype of MTTP gene frequency in the drinkers with fatty livers was 85.4%, which was significantly higher than that in the drinkers without fatty liver, which was 68.4% (P=0.013). With regard to biochemical indicators, the alanine aminotransferase value of the I/I group was significantly higher than that of the I/T and T/T groups (P=0.04). Asparate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, triglyceride, apolipoprotein B, and glucose concentration tended to be lower in the I/T and T/T groups than in the I/I group, but no statistically significant difference was found.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, MTTP-I128T polymorphism is associated with central obesity, elevated liver enzymes, and alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Jun
Dae Won
DW
Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University College of Medicine, Eulji Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Han
Jee Hye
JH
Jang
Eun Chul
EC
Kim
Sang Heum
SH
Kim
Seong Hwan
SH
Jo
Yoon Ju
YJ
Park
Young Sook
YS
Chae
Jeong Don
JD
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008055:Lipids; C106092:microsomal triglyceride transfer protein; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase