Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α L162V Polymorphism in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Genotype 1 Hepatitis C Virus-Related Liver Steatosis

BackgroundPeroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) plays important roles in lipid metabolism. A recently discovered L162V polymorphism of the PPARα gene is associated with enhanced transcriptional activity. In this study, the frequency of L162V was investigated in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver steatosis.MethodsSeventy-two NASH and 141 HCV-infected patients (54 with steatosis, 87 without steatosis) and 119 healthy controls were included. L162V polymorphism of the PPARα gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).ResultsPCR and RFLP analysis of the related gene segment was successful in 93%, 96%, and 100% of NASH and HCV-infected patients and controls, respectively. The frequency of the L162V polymorphism was similar in the NASH and HCV-infected patients and controls (5.9%, 3.6%, and 2.5%, respectively). No difference in the frequency of this polymorphism was observed in HCV-infected patients with or without significant liver steatosis. L162V was not associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertriglyceridemia.ConclusionsNeither NASH nor genotype 1 HCV-related liver steatosis seems to be associated with the PPARα L162V polymorphism. This polymorphism may have no association with the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, or various blood lipid alterations in NASH and HCV-infected patients.