Association of Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism with Impact on Overweight University Pupils

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obesity is known to be a complex disorder caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Patients with obesity tend to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have revealed that obesity is associated with genetic variations including those found in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which also affects lipid profiles. Hence, in this study, we aimed to perform a molecular characterization of APOE gene polymorphisms found in overweight subjects within a Saudi population. METHODS: A case-control study was performed consisting of 198 cases and 198 controls, selected from participants at the King Saud University. TaqMan genotyping was performed to characterize the APOE gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: The present study identified the E4 allele of the APOE gene as being significantly associated with obesity in the Saudi population (p = 0.0001). We found a statistically significant difference in the genotype distribution between cases and controls [for E3/E4: OR, 2.16 (95% CI: 1.19-3.91); p = 0.009]. DISCUSSION: Significant differences were observed in the APOE allele profiles (p < 0.001) and lipid profile parameters, including triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein among the obese patients compared with the non-obese control population. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that APOE variants are associated with obesity in the Saudi population.