Effects of SLC2A9 variants on uric acid levels in a Korean population

Elevated uric acid levels are associated with a variety of adverse health risks. Genome-wide association studies have identified several candidate genes associated with serum uric acid levels, including SLC2A9. We carried out a replication study of SLC2A9 variants in two Korean cohorts. A total of 961 participants in Seoul City were genotyped using a genome-wide marker panel, and 1,859 participants in the Bundang-Gu area were used for a replication study with a selected marker. Multivariate linear regression models were employed to test for genotypic effects on uric acid levels while adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status using an additive model. The top single nucleotide polymorphism associated with uric acid levels was rs4529048 in the SLC2A9 gene on chromosome 4 (P = 2.12 × 10−6 in the Seoul City sample; P = 1.55 × 10−9 in the Bundang-Gu sample). The meta-analysis P value for rs4529048 in the combined 2,820 individuals was 1.17 × 10−14. This study demonstrates that genetic variants in SLC2A9 influence uric acid levels in Korean adults.