The Effect of APOC3 Promoter Polymorphisms on the Risk of Hypertriglyceridemia in Chinese Han Population With or Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Promoter polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) gene are associated with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), which is a complication of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Because there is a strong insulin resistance in T2DM, it is essential to investigate whether the APOC3 promoter variation affects plasma lipid profiles in the population with or without T2DM. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed to detect the genotypes of APOC3. The levels of serum lipid profiles were also studied by biochemical methods. Results: In the control group, the prevalence of the −455CC or −482TT variants was higher in persons with HTG compared to those with normal triglyceride (NTG). Compared with the most common genotype, −455TT or −482CC, the variants had a significantly increased HTG risk in this population. However, a similar association was not found in the T2DM group. Conclusions: There was no relationship between promoter rare allele −455C or −482T of APOC3 gene and HTG in T2DM, but both the rare alleles contributed to an increased risk of HTG in the control group without T2DM.