INTRODUCTION: Gout and hyperuricaemia attributed to genetic and lifestyle factors have been associated with several chronic diseases. This study aimed to determine the association and interaction effects between vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) gene polymorphisms (rs1870377 and rs2071559) and dietary patterns on blood uric acid in Malay and Indian adults.
METHODS: Dietary intakes of 153 Malays and 177 Indians were obtained using a food frequency questionnaire for the construction of dietary patterns using factor analysis. Genotyping of rs1870377 and rs2071559 was performed by real-time PCR using TaqMan probes. Anthropometric measurements, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure and biomarkers, uric acid, glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and blood lipids were determined.
RESULTS: There were significant differences in the mean values for HbA1c (41±-12 vs 45±-8 mmol/mol, p<0.001) and blood lipids levels (p<0.05) between Malays and Indians. Significant correlations were obtained between uric acid with selected blood lipids (p<0.05) and BMI in Malays (r=0.362, p<0.001) and Indians (r=0.212, p<0.01). Four dietary patterns were extracted from dietary intakes of all subjects: ‘Vegetables diet’; ‘Fruits diet’ (FD); ‘Animal protein and rice diet’; and ‘Fast foods and preserved foods diet’. There were no significant associations between dietary patterns (p=0.054-0.609) and VEGFR-2 gene polymorphisms (p=0.348-0.778) with uric acid. In Malay subjects, the interaction of rs2071559 and FD had a borderline effect (p=0.05) on blood uric acid after adjusting for potential confounders.
CONCLUSION: The associations and gene-diet interactions involving VEGFR-2 gene polymorphisms and FD on uric acid provide new information on gout and hyperuricaemia risks in Malays.
Keywords: Gene-diet interaction, VEGFR-2 gene polymorphisms, dietary pattern, uric acid, Malaysians
The prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases is increasing and gene-diet interaction studies are limited among the Malaysian population. This study was conducted to evaluate the association and interaction effects of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2(VEGFR2) gene polymorphisms and dietary patterns on anthropometric and biochemical risk factors of chronic diseases in 179 Chinese Malaysian adults.
Dietary pattern and genetic predisposition of each population have different impacts on lifestyle-related chronic diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the association and interaction between dietary patterns and VEGFR2 or KDR gene polymorphisms on physical and biochemical risk factors of cardiovascular disease in two Asian populations (179 Chinese Malaysian and 136 Japanese adults).