Study of Paraoxonase -1 Gene Polymorphism in a Healthy Population of

Human serum paraoxonase (HuPON1: EC 3.1.8.1), a calcium-dependent esterase, is synthesized in the liver and widely distributed in tissues including liver, kidney, intestine, and serum, where it is associated exclusively with high-density lipoprotein. Human paraoxonase-1 plays an important role in prevention of atherosclerosis and also protection against organophosphate-induced neurotoxicity. Paraoxonase-1 shows 2 common polymorphisms: Q/R at position 192 and M/L at position 55. In this study, paraoxonase-1 192 and 55 polymorphisms were investigated in 64 healthy Iranian individuals. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood by the Bartlett method, and paraoxonase-1 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by restriction isotyping and gel electrophoresis. The chi-square test was used to evaluate the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The genotype frequencies for paraoxonase 1-Q192R? were approximately 47% (QQ), 41% (QR) and 12% (RR) and for paraoxonase-1 M55L, 44% (LL), 44% (ML) and 12% (MM). Thus, the frequency of alleles R, L, Q, and M were 0.33, 0.66, 0.67, and 0.34 respectively. In conclusion, the frequencies of paraoxonase-1 192 and 55 polymorphisms in this group of Iranian population were different from those seen in other Asian populations from Japan and China but similar to European (Caucasians).