Taq1B polymorphism of CETP gene on lipid abnormalities in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

The most common alterations in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in type 2 diabetes involve an elavation in both plasma triglyceride and VLDL concentrations, a dense LDL phenotype and low levels of HDL cholesterol. The inverse relationship between the level of HDL cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease is commonly explained by the crucial role of HDL in reverse cholesterol transport. Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) has a central role in the metabolism of HDL and may therefore alter the susceptibility to atherosclerotic vascular disease. To evaluate the effect of Taq1B polymorphism of intron 1 of CETP gene on serum lipid concentrations in Turkish type 2 diabetic patients, we investigated Taq1B polymorphism and serum lipid levels in 116 controls and in 164 diabetic patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and agarose gel electrophoresis techniques were used to determine the CETP Taq1B polymorphism. Serum lipid levels were measured enzymatically. Statistical analyses was performed by SPSS. In control group: subjects with B2B2 genotype have high HDL-cholesterol levels (p=0.029) and B1B1 genotypes have high triglyceride levels (p=0.07). Diabetic patients with and without MI with B2B2 genotype have high HDL-cholesterol levels. Taq B1B1 genotype has higher in diabetic patients with myocardial infarction (MI) than diabetic patients without myocardial infarction (42.1% and 32.7%; χ2=1.42, p=0.23). The present study demonstrates that the CETP Taq1B gene polymorphism is an association with low HDL cholesterol levels in patients with type II diabetes mellitus and healthy controls in Turkey. We also showed that CATE Taq1B gene polymorphism may be related to myocardial infarction in type II diabetic patients.