Interaction between a common variant in FADS1 and erythrocyte polyunsaturated fatty acids on lipid profile in Chinese Hans

Little is known about the associations of FADS1 genetic variants with circulating levels of PUFA and lipids in Asian populations who have a different dietary pattern and dyslipidemia prevalence compared with Western populations. In a population-based sample of 3,210 unrelated Han Chinese living in Beijing and Shanghai, we examined a FADS1 genetic variant, rs174550, in relation to blood PUFA and lipid levels. C-allele of rs174550 was signifi cantly associated with levels of erythrocyte PUFAs in upstream and downstream pathways of delta-5 desaturase (D5D) ( P≤0.003). Moreover, rs174550 C-allele was associated with a lower HDL cholesterol level ( P = 0.02) in total population and a higher triglyceride level ( P = 0.0002) in Beijing residents. Interestingly, erythrocyte levels of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 modifi ed the effect of rs174550 on HDL cholesterol level: stronger associations between rs174550 C-allele and lower HDL cholesterol levels were exhibited when erythrocyte 18:2n-6 or 18:3n-3 level was low ( P for interaction = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). These data suggested that FADS1 genetic variant was associated with circulating PUFA and lipid levels and that its effect on HDL cholesterol might depend on PUFA status in the Han Chinese population.