title: Polymorphisms of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein gene and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Koreans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University College of Medicine, Eulji Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Jee Hye
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Eun Chul
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sang Heum
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Young Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jeong Don
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008055:Lipids; C106092:microsomal triglyceride transfer protein; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase