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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Targeted Next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Pipeline to Evaluate Genetic Determinants of Constitutional Disease
Published on: April 4, 2018
Identification of NPPA variants associated with atrial fibrillation in a Chinese GeneID population
Xiang Ren1, Chengqi Xu, Chengxiong Zhan
1Center for Human Genome Research, Cardio-X Institute, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Background:
A frameshift mutation in the NPPA gene was identified in 1 family with atrial fibrillation (AF), however, further studies are needed to establish unequivocally the genetic association between NPPA and AF.
Methods:
A case control association study and mutational analysis of NPPA were performed with 384 sporadic AF patients and 844 controls from a Chinese GeneID population. Genotyping was performed using High-Resolution Melt analysis. Mutational analysis was performed using direct DNA sequencing analysis.
Results:
Significant allelic association was detected between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs5063 and lone AF (p=0.015, OR=1.63; adjusted p=0.003). Genotypic association was significant assuming an additive or dominant model (adjusted p=0.005 and 0.007, respectively). Six new variants were identified in NPPA, including 2 in the 5'-UTR, 2 in the 3'-UTR, and 2 missense substitutions. Variants c.413T>C, c.*48G>A and c.*133G>T were not present in 844 controls, and the others were identified in controls.
Conclusions:
Variants in NPPA confer risk of lone AF in a Chinese population. Thus, in addition to being a disease-causing gene with mutations identified in familial AF cases, NPPA is a susceptibility gene for lone AF.
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