Role of NCAN rs2228603 polymorphism in the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Recently genome-wide association studies identified that NCAN rs2228603 polymorphism was associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mainly in subjects of European ancestry. While no research have been conducted to demonstrate the relationship between NCAN rs2228603 and NAFLD in Chinese Han adults. The aim of this study was to investigate whether NCAN rs2228603 is associated with NAFLD in Chinese population. METHODS: Gene NCAN rs2228603 was genotyped in 182 patients with NAFLD and 195 healthy controls. The expression of NCAN was tested according to polymerase chain reaction analysis (PCR) and serum lipids were performed by biology techniques. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in genotype and allele frequencies of NCAN rs2228603 between the NAFLD group and the controls (P > 0.05). Subjects with the NCAN rs2228603 CT genotype showed a higher level of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) (P = 0.017) and a higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study for the first time identified that the gene NCAN rs2228603 is not a risk factor for the incidence of NAFLD in Chinese population. Also we found the dual and opposite role of T variant in protecting liver with a higher level of HDL and conferring risk for liver damage with a higher level of AKP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register.gov Identifier: ChiCTR-ROC-15006447.