Objective. To ascertain the relationship between the Ala54Thr variation of FABP2 gene and general as well as regional adipose tissue depots.Subjects. 165 subjects, in which 86 were subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) [age 54.45±9.80, male/female 1.05,body mass index (BMI)26.48±4.01] and 79 were subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)(age 55.86±10.00,male/female 1.08,BMI 26.75±3.30).Design and measurements. An association study of FABP2-Ala54Thr variation detected by PCR/HhaI digestion with general and regional adipose tissue depots determined by BMI and magnetic resonance imaging [abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue area (SA and VA) and femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue area (FA)].Results. The geneotype and allele frequencies of FABP2-Ala54Thr variation in Chinese were quite close to the frequencies in American Caucasians and Pima Indians reported in the literature. Significant difference in genotype frequency distribution was observed between FA subgroups comparisons (FA≥75cm2 versus FA＜75cm2)in NIDDM subjects (X2＝11.460,P＝0.003),with significantly increased in Thr54-carrier[Thr54(+)]genotype frequency and Thr54 allele frequency in NIDDM subject with FA＜75cm2(odd ratio for genotype was 4.62,X2＝10.112,P＝0.001;and for allele＝2.36,X2＝5.379,P＝0.020).The FA in NIDDM-Thr54(+)subgroup was significantly lower than that in subjects with NIDDM-Thr54(-)sugroup(61.19±21.51cm2 versus 75.36±31.70cm2,P＝0.021). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that FABP2-Thr54 genotype variation was an independent factor contributing to the variation of FA in NIDDM(P＝0.003).Conclusion. FABP2 is associated with regional adipose tissue depot.The decreased femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue depot in NIDDM subjects is related to FABP2-Thr54 variant.