TY - JOUR
T1 - The Association between Genetic Variations of CHI3L1, Levels of the Encoded Glycoprotein YKL-40 and the Lipid Profile in a Danish Population
AU - Thomsen, Stine Brinkløv
AU - Rathcke, Camilla Noelle
AU - Skaaby, Tea
AU - Linneberg, Allan
AU - Vestergaard, Henrik
PY - 2012/10/5
Y1 - 2012/10/5
N2 - Background: The inflammatory biomarker YKL-40 seems to play a role in atherosclerosis and is elevated in patients with obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the YKL-40 encoding gene, CHI3L1, are associated with inter-individual YKL-40 levels. One study has described an association between a promoter polymorphism of CHI3L1 and levels of low density lipoprotein. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of YKL-40 on lipid parameters by determining the association between polymorphisms of CHI3L1, serum YKL-40 and levels of the differentiated lipid profile in a Danish general population. Methodology/Principle Findings: 12 SNPs of CHI3L1 were genotyped, and serum YKL-40 and parameters of the lipid profile were measured in 2,656 Danes. Lipid profile and genotypes were available in another Danish population (n = 6,784) for replication. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels increased with increasing YKL-40 quartile (both p<0.0001), and YKL-40 correlated with triglyceride levels (β = 0.15, p<0.0001). Low density lipoprotein levels increased slightly from the 1st to the 3rd quartile (p = 0.006). The highest YKL-40 quartile was associated with a greater risk of hypercholesterolemia compared to the lowest YKL-40 quartile (odds ratio 1.36, p = 0.009). Minor homozygosity of rs12123883 was associated with higher triglyceride levels (p = 0.022) and a higher prevalence of low high density lipoprotein (p = 0.012), but these associations could not be confirmed in the replication population. Conclusions/Significance: Serum YKL-40 correlates with triglyceride levels in a representative group of the general Danish population. No consistent associations between SNPs of CHI3L1 and lipid levels could be documented.
AB - Background: The inflammatory biomarker YKL-40 seems to play a role in atherosclerosis and is elevated in patients with obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the YKL-40 encoding gene, CHI3L1, are associated with inter-individual YKL-40 levels. One study has described an association between a promoter polymorphism of CHI3L1 and levels of low density lipoprotein. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of YKL-40 on lipid parameters by determining the association between polymorphisms of CHI3L1, serum YKL-40 and levels of the differentiated lipid profile in a Danish general population. Methodology/Principle Findings: 12 SNPs of CHI3L1 were genotyped, and serum YKL-40 and parameters of the lipid profile were measured in 2,656 Danes. Lipid profile and genotypes were available in another Danish population (n = 6,784) for replication. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels increased with increasing YKL-40 quartile (both p<0.0001), and YKL-40 correlated with triglyceride levels (β = 0.15, p<0.0001). Low density lipoprotein levels increased slightly from the 1st to the 3rd quartile (p = 0.006). The highest YKL-40 quartile was associated with a greater risk of hypercholesterolemia compared to the lowest YKL-40 quartile (odds ratio 1.36, p = 0.009). Minor homozygosity of rs12123883 was associated with higher triglyceride levels (p = 0.022) and a higher prevalence of low high density lipoprotein (p = 0.012), but these associations could not be confirmed in the replication population. Conclusions/Significance: Serum YKL-40 correlates with triglyceride levels in a representative group of the general Danish population. No consistent associations between SNPs of CHI3L1 and lipid levels could be documented.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0047094
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0047094
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 23071724
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 7
SP - e47094
JO - PLoS Computational Biology
JF - PLoS Computational Biology
IS - 10
ER -
