Association of the Pro90Ser CD36 mutation with elevated free fatty acid concentrations but not with insulin resistance syndrome in Japanese

Background: CD36 deficiency is reportedly an underlying factor about insulin resistance, defective fatty acid metabolism and hypertriglyceridemia in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), and may be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin ge resistance and hyperlipidemia in humans. Methods: We examined 831 adults undergoing health screening. The majority (780) was Pro90 homozygous for the CD36 gene product, but 51 displayed a CD36 mutation (2 homozygous and 49 heterozygous for Ser90). This is the major mutation site involved in CD36 deficiency in Japanese. Results: Among parameters related to insulin resistance, there were no differences in body mass index (BMT), HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin and insulin resistance index (HOMA IR), or blood pressure between 91 normal subjects (45 male and 46 female) randomly selected from the 780 Pro90 homozygotes and the 51 (29 male and 22 females) CD36-deficient subjects (Ser90 homozygote and Pro90Ser heterozygote). Free fatty acid concentrations, however, were higher in Ser90 CD36 subjects than in Pro90 control subjects. Conclusions: The CD36Pro90Ser mutation is not necessarily related to the insulin resistance syndrome, but is associated with high free fatty acid concentrations in Japanese. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.