Genetic variation of the Apo Al-CIII-AIV gene cluster in hypertriglyceridemic patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis

Many patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) requiring hemodialysis prese nt with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). But the exact cause of HTG in CRF is st ill unknown. Genetic variation of the apo AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster was repo rted to be associated with primary HTG, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. This study was designed to evaluate the association between the r estriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the apo AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster and HTG in patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis. Genetic varia tions of the apo AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster were analysed in peripheral leuko cyte samples from 59 patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis: 17 patients with HTG (CRF-HTG) and 42 patients without HTG (CRF-NTG). The RFLP was ach ieved through the digestion of PCR products by two restriction enzymes, Sst I and MspI. The frequency of SstI minor allele (S2) in CRF-HTG was 0.44, wh ich was significantly higher than that in CRF-NTG (0.17). Frequencies of Ms pI minor allele (M2) in CRF-HTG and CRF-NTG were not significantly differen t (0.5 vs 0.32) (p=0.07). Frequencies of S2-M2 genotype were 0.65 in CRF-HT G, and 0.27 in CRF-NTG (p<0.005). These data indicate that genetic variatio n of the apo AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster may serve as one of the causes of HTG in CRF.