Polymorphism of ZBTB17 gene is associated with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a case control study in a Han Chinese population

BACKGROUND Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been extensively investigated for many years, but its pathogenesis remains uncertain. The ACTC1 gene was the first sarcomeric gene whose mutation was shown to cause DCM; recent studies have indicated that the HSPB7 and ZBTB17 genes are also associated with DCM. To assess the potential role of these three genes in DCM, we examined 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ZBTB17, HSPB7 and ACTC1 genes: namely, rs10927875 in ZBTB17; rs1739843, rs7523558, and rs6660685 in HSPB7; rs533021, rs589759, rs1370154, rs2070664, rs3759834, rs525720 and rs670957 in ACTC1. METHODS A total of 97 DCM patients and 189 controls were included in the study. All SNPs were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). RESULTS The genotype of SNP rs10927875 in ZBTB17 (OR=5.19, 95% CI =1.00 to 27.03, P=0.05) was associated with DCM in a Han Chinese population. There was no difference in genotype or allele frequencies in ACTC1 or HSPB7 between DCM patients and control subjects. CONCLUSION The ZBTB17 polymorphism rs10927875 appears to play a role in the susceptibility of the Han Chinese population to DCM.