OBJECTIVETo investigate the Arg16Gly polymorphism of beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2AR) gene and its association with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) in Chinese population.

METHODSThree hundred and forty one subjects including 100 HTG patients and 241 healthy controls from a population of Chinese Han nationality in Chengdu area were studied using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs).

RESULTSThe frequencies of Gly allele at the Arg16Gly locus in combined group was 0.446, and were 0.427 and 0.490 in normal and HTG group, respectively. No significant difference was found in both allele and genotype frequencies between normal control and HTG group. The frequency of Gly allele at the Arg16Gly locus in beta2-adrenergic receptor gene in the population (0.446) was similar to that of Japanese (0.505), higher than that of American white(0.248), and lower than that of Polish population (0.633). In normal controls, subjects with genotype Arg/Arg had a higher concentration of serum TG and apoB100, and lower apoAII levels, when compared with those with genotypes Arg/Gly or Gly/Gly, respectively (vs. Arg/Gly for TG, vs. Gly/Gly for apoB100 and apoAII, respectively, P<0.05). In HTG group, subjects with genotype Arg/Arg had higher serum TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels when compared with those with Gly/Gly genotype (5.36+/-0.74 mmol/L vs. 4.77+/-1.07 mmol/L,P<0.05;3.03+/-0.70 mmol/L vs. 2.38+/-1.10 mmol/L,P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the Arg16Gly polymorphism in beta2-adrenergic receptor gene are not only associated with serum TG,apoB100 and apoAII levels in the healthy Chinese subjects in Chengdu area, but also with serum TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in subjects with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. The Arg16Gly polymorphism in beta2-adrenergic receptor gene may be associated with TG and/or cholesterol metabolism in Chinese Han population.