Association of the APOA1 rs964184 SNP and serum lipid traits in the Chinese Maonan and Han populations

Background: Maonan nationality belongs to a mountain ethnic minority in China. Little is known about the association of apolipoprotein A1 gene (APOA1) rs964184 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and serum lipid levels in this population. The aim of this study was to detect the association of the APOA1 rs964184 SNP and several environmental factors with serum lipid profiles in the Chinese Maonan and Han populations. Methods: Genotypes of the APOA1 rs964184 SNP in 867 individuals of Maonan nationality and 820 participants of Han nationality were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism, combined with gel electrophoresis, and confirmed by direct sequencing. Results: The frequencies of CC, CG and GG genotypes of the AP0A1 rs964184 SNP were 68.86, 29.18 and 1.96% in the Maonan population, and 63.78, 30.85 and 537% in the Han population (P < 0.001). The frequency of the G allele was 16.55% in Maonan and 20.79% in Han (P < 0.001). The G allele carriers had lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in Maonan and higher triglyceride (TG) levels in Han peoples than the G allele non-carriers. Subgroup analyses showed that the G allele carriers had lower HDL-C levels in both Maonan males and females; and lower apolipoprotein (Apo) Al levels and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio in Han males than the G allele non-carriers. Serum lipid parameters in the two ethnic groups were also associated with several environmental factors. Conclusions: The present study reveals that there may be a racial/ethnic- and/or gender-specific association between the APOA1 rs964184 SNP and serum lipid parameters in our study populations.