Background: The scavenger receptor class B type I (SCARB1) gene plays an important role in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism and may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The rs5888 (C/T) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the SCARB1 gene is functional, and we therefore examined the association between rs5888 and CAD.
Methods: The rs5888 genotypes were analyzed in 287 Chinese patients with CAD and 367 controls via the high-resolution melting curve (HRM) method. Allele frequency and genotype distribution were compared. The levels of plasma triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were also compared between the groups with different genotypes.
Results: The proportion of subjects with TT and CT genotypes in the control group was significantly higher than that in the CAD group (50.95% vs. 32.75%, p < 0.001). The frequency of individuals with T alleles in the control group was significantly higher than that in the CAD group (28.75% vs. 17.25%, p < 0.001). In the combined population (CAD and control groups), the HDL-C concentration in individuals with the TT genotype was significantly higher than in those with the CT genotype (1.81 ± 1.29 vs. 1.42 ± 0.56, p = 0.026) or in those with the CC genotype (1.81 ± 1.29 vs. 1.42 ± 0.72, p = 0.021).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the rs5888 SNP in the SCARB1 gene is associated with CAD; furthermore, the TT genotype is associated with a higher HDL-C concentration.
Keywords: Cholesterol, HDL; Coronary atherosclerosis; Han Chinese; Scavenger receptors, class B; Single nucleotide polymorphism.