Is C771G Polymorphism of MLX interacting protein-like (MLXIPL) Gene a Novel Genetic Risk Factor for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

Abstract

In a recent study, a genome-wide scan has identified C771G (His241Gln) polymorphism of MLX interacting protein like (MLXIPL) gene that is associated with the level of plasma triglycerides. Since, no study has been reported on the association between MLXIPL gene and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we aimed to identify a connection between this genetic variation and NAFLD. Two hundred and thirteen patients with NAFLD and 252 healthy controls were entered into this study. MLXIPL genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Our study showed that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of MLXIPL is significantly associated with NAFLD. Significant differences between cases and controls were observed for MLXIPL genotype frequencies (p<0.002). The frequency of C allele of MLXIPL in patient group was higher than the control group (68.30% vs. 51.59%, respectively; p<0.05). C771G polymorphism in the MLXIPL gene potentially plays a significant role in pathophysiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Further research is needed to confirm this finding.