VNN1 gene expression levels and the G-137T polymorphism are associated with HDL-C levels in Mexican prepubertal children.

• Main Authors: Leonor Jacobo-Albavera, Pablo I Aguayo-de la Rosa, Teresa Villarreal-Molina, Hugo Villamil-Ramírez, Paola León-Mimila, Sandra Romero-Hidalgo, Blanca E López-Contreras, Fausto Sánchez-Muñoz, Rafael Bojalil, Juan Antonio González-Barrios, Carlos A Aguilar-Salinas, Samuel Canizales-Quinteros
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23185446/?tool=EBI

<h4>Background</h4>VNN1 gene expression levels and the G-137T polymorphism have been associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in Mexican American adults. We aim to evaluate the contribution of VNN1 gene expression and the G-137T variant to HDL-C levels and other metabolic traits in Mexican prepubertal children.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>VNN1 mRNA expression levels were quantified in peripheral blood leukocytes from 224 unrelated Mexican-Mestizo children aged 6-8 years (107 boys and 117 girls) and were genotyped for the G-137T variant (rs4897612). To account for population stratification, a panel of 10 ancestry informative markers was analyzed. After adjustment for admixture, the TT genotype was significantly associated with lower VNN1 mRNA expression levels (P = 2.9 × 10(-5)), decreased HDL-C levels (β = -6.19, P = 0.028) and with higher body mass index (BMI) z-score (β = 0.48, P = 0.024) in the total sample. In addition, VNN1 expression showed a positive correlation with HDL-C levels (r = 0.220; P = 0.017) and a negative correlation with BMI z-score (r = -0.225; P = 0.015) only in girls.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>Our data suggest that VNN1 gene expression and the G-137T variant are associated with HDL-C levels in Mexican children, particularly in prepubertal girls.