Associations between Apolipoprotein e Gene Polymorphisms and Cardiovascular Complications of Uremic Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Abstract

This study is to investigate the associations between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphisms and cardiovascular complications of uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Uremic patients on MHD (189, case group) and healthy people (165, control group) were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to test ApoE gene polymorphisms. Indicators of MHD and cardiovascular complications were observed. Compared with the control group, the case group had decreased frequency of ϵ3/3 genotype and ϵ3 allele and increased ϵ4/3 genotype and ϵ4 allele. The ϵ4 group had elevated adiponectin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and total cholesterol but decreased HDL-C compared with other groups. The ϵ3 group had reduced complications. ApoE ϵ3 and ϵ4 alleles were related with cardiovascular complications of the uremic patients on MHD. We concluded that ApoE gene polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to infections in uremia, and that ApoE ϵ3 and ϵ4 alleles might correlate with cardiovascular complications of uremic patients on MHD.