ApolipoproteinA1-75 G/A (M1^-) polymorphism and Lipoprotein(a); Anti- vs. Pro-Atherogenic properties

Background. ApolipoproteinA1(apoA1) is the major apoprotein constituent of high-density-lipoprotein(HDL). The relationship of apoA1 -75 bp(M1^-) allele polymorphism with lipoprotein phenotype and cardiovascular diseae (CVD) remain unclear. Overnight fasting blood samples were collected from a cohort of high-risk Omani population, 90 non-diabetic subjects and 149 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects for genotype and phenotype studies. Results. The M1+ and M1- alleles frequencies were 0.808 and 0.192 for M1+ and M1-, respectively, comparable to the frequency of apoA1 (M1+ and M1-) amongst a healthy Omani population, 0.788 and 0.212, respectively. The frequencies of the hetero- and homozygous subjects for the MspI polymorphism at -75 (M1^-) of the apoA1 gene were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The mean Lp(a) concentration was significantly higher(P = 0.02) in subjects carrying M1^- allele compared to M1⁺ allele of the APOA1 gene with an odd ratio of 2.3(95% CI, 1.13-14.3), irrespective of gender and the diabetic status. Conclusion. ApolipoproteinA1-75 G/A (M1^-) polymorphism is relatively common and is positively associated with Lp(a) and therefore, may confer a potential risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).