OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the polymorphism of apolipo-protein E was associated with the development of alcoholic cirrhosis and could influence the severity of liver injury evaluated by the Child-Pugh score. METHOD: We investigated 75 alcoholic patients with a histological diagnosis of cirrhosis, with negative HBV, HCV serology and a control group of 54 subjects. Polymorphism of apolipoprotein E was performed using PCR. RESULTS: There was no difference for the allele frequency and the genotype in the cirrhotic group and the control group. Cirrhotic patients with allele epsilon 2 had higher concentration of albumin (P = 0.01) and a higher level of apolipoprotein AII (P < 0.05) than those with allele epsilon 3. They also had a higher concentration of apolipoprotein AI than cirrhotic patients with allele epsilon 3 and epsilon 4 (P = 0.01). There was a statistical difference between the three genotype groups for prothrombin time (P = 0.01). There was no statistical difference between the three genotype groups for Child-Pugh score. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphism of apolipoprotein E was not associated with the development of alcoholic cirrhosis. However patients with allele epsilon 2 had better hepatocellular function.
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the polymorphism of apolipo-protein E was associated with the development of alcoholic cirrhosis and could influence the severity of liver injury evaluated by the Child-Pugh score. METHOD: We investigated 75 alcoholic patients with a histological diagnosis of cirrhosis, with negative HBV, HCV serology and a control group of 54 subjects. Polymorphism of apolipoprotein E was performed using PCR. RESULTS: There was no difference for the allele frequency and the genotype in the cirrhotic group and the control group. Cirrhoticpatients with allele epsilon 2 had higher concentration of albumin (P = 0.01) and a higher level of apolipoprotein AII (P < 0.05) than those with allele epsilon 3. They also had a higher concentration of apolipoprotein AI than cirrhoticpatients with allele epsilon 3 and epsilon 4 (P = 0.01). There was a statistical difference between the three genotype groups for prothrombin time (P = 0.01). There was no statistical difference between the three genotype groups for Child-Pugh score. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphism of apolipoprotein E was not associated with the development of alcoholic cirrhosis. However patients with allele epsilon 2 had better hepatocellular function.