Genetics
CETP variant rs708272 lowers coronary atherosclerosis risk while a linked variant shapes HDL cholesterol in Chinese healthy controls (Lipids Health Dis 2013)
Original title: CETP gene polymorphisms and risk of coronary atherosclerosis in a Chinese population
This case-control study investigated the association of seven CETP gene single nucleotide polymorphisms with coronary atherosclerosis risk and HDL-cholesterol levels in 420 Chinese patients with coronary atherosclerosis and 424 healthy controls, genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Carriers of the AA and GA+AA genotypes of rs708272 had significantly lower coronary atherosclerosis risk than GG genotype carriers (OR=0.55, 95% CI 0.36-0.85, p=0.003; and OR=0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.90, p=0.007), remaining significant after adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. The rs1800775 polymorphism was significantly associated with HDL-cholesterol levels in healthy controls (p=0.04), and was found to be in close linkage disequilibrium with rs708272. The authors conclude CETP rs708272 may be associated with coronary atherosclerosis risk and rs1800775 may influence HDL-cholesterol levels in healthy Chinese controls.
Original abstract
Background: Coronary atherosclerosis, the most common form of coronary artery disease (CAD), is characterized by accumulation of lipid in the walls of coronary arteries. Recent data from clinical trials have showed that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has causal role in the pathogenesis and development of coronary atherosclerosis. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is an important regulator of plasma HDL-C. Several genetic mutations in the CETP gene were found to be associated with HDL-C levels. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association of HDL-C-related CETP polymorphisms and risk of coronary atherosclerosis.
Methods: We investigated the association of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (rs1800775, rs708272, rs5882, rs1532624, rs1864163, rs7499892, and rs9989419) in the CETP gene with the risk of coronary atherosclerosis and levels of HDL-C in a case-control study in China. Included in the study were 420 patients with coronary atherosclerosis and 424 healthy controls. SNP genotyping was performed by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay and serum lipid levels were measured by standard laboratory methods.
Results: Carriers of the AA and GA + AA genotypes of rs708272 had significant lower risks of coronary atherosclerosis (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36-0.85, p = 0.003; OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50-0.90, p = 0.007, respectively) compared to those with GG genotype. These relations remained significant after adjustment for confounding effects of age, smoking, diabetes and hypertension. The rs1800775 polymorphism was significantly associated with serum levels of HDL-C in healthy controls (p = 0.04). Besides, rs708272 was in close linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs1800775 in this study.
Conclusions: Our findings indicated that CETP rs708272 may be associated with the risk of coronary atherosclerosis and rs1800775 may influence serum HDL-C levels in healthy controls in Chinese.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.