Two genetic variants in FABP1 and susceptibility to non-alcohol fatty liver disease in a Chinese population

Liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1) serves as a key regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism, and polymorphisms within the FABP1 gene have been associated with several metabolic traits. To investigate the association between FABP1 polymorphisms and the risk of non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Chinese population, the genotypes and haplotypes of FABP1 (rs2241883 T/C and rs1545224G/A) were determined in 553 patients with NAFLD and 553 healthy controls. The results showed that individuals with at least one copy of the rs2241883 C allele (TC or CC genotype) had an elevated risk for developing NAFLD (odds ratio [OR]=1.32, 95% CI: 1.01-1.71), and individuals with at least one copy of the rs1545224 A allele (GA or AA genotype) also had a significantly increased risk for NAFLD (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.14-2.02). Cumulative effect analysis of the two SNPs revealed that individuals with two risk genotypes were at significantly higher risk of NAFLD than those without risk genotype, and a significant trend of increased risk with increasing numbers of risk genotype was observed. Stratification analysis showed that the rs2241883 C allele carriers had higher level of LDL-C and the rs1545224 A allele carriers had higher level of FPG than those without this allele. In addition, haplotype analysis revealed that the one composed of the rs1545224 A and rs2241883 C variants was significantly associated with an increased risk for NAFLD (OR=1.34; 95% CI=1.05-1.40) compared to the GT haplotype. Taken together, the present study suggests that genetic variations within FABP1 influence susceptibility to NAFLD independently or jointly.