title: Association between apolipoprotein E genotype, chronic liver disease, and hepatitis B virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays an important role in regulating lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, and ApoE genotypes are known to affect plasma lipoprotein concentrations. We investigated whether ApoE genotype determines the disease outcome in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected individuals, and verified the association between ApoE genotype and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver diseases of various etiologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This hospital-based, case-controlled study enrolled 156 subjects (47 healthy controls, 50 HBV-related liver cirrhosis patients, and 59 HCC patients). ApoE genotypes were determined using PCR-based ApoE genotyping kits. The biological significance of ApoE genotype was verified by measuring serum ApoE levels using an ELISA kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ε3 allele was the most common allele, with allele frequencies among the entire cohort of 5.8%, 84.3%, and 9.9% for the ε2, ε3, and ε4 alleles, respectively. Significantly more of those patients carrying the ε3/3 genotype had developed liver cirrhosis compared to the control subjects. Being an ApoE4 carrier was associated with a lower probability of developing liver cirrhosis. The allele frequencies and genotype distribution of ApoE did not differ significantly between the liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. The serum level of ApoE was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than in the healthy controls, but did not differ significantly with the ApoE genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ApoE ε3/3 genotype frequency was higher in patients with HBV-associated liver cirrhosis than in the controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Genomic Research Center for Gastroenterology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Seun Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Dong Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soon Sun
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang Bum
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Hyo Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Han Gyeol
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Jip
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyo Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi Yeon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kee Bum
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jae Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cheong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E
keywords: Apolipoprotein E; Genotype; Hepatitis B virus; Liver cirrhosis