Association study of promoter polymorphisms in the CETP gene with longevity in the Han Chinese population

The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), which is involved in the regulation of reverse cholesterol transport and metabolism of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, has been proposed as a candidate gene for human longevity. SNPs in the promoter region of the CETP gene is likely important in regulation of the expression of the CETP gene. To explore the potential effects of the promoter polymorphisms in the CETP gene on longevity, we investigated the promoter polymorphisms in a sample of long-lived (≥ 90 years old) Han Chinese collected from Southwestern China (N = 380). By resequencing 934 bp of the promoter region, genotypes of four SNPs (-573A/G, -629A/C, -971A/G, -1046T/C) were examined in this sample. However, no association could be confirmed between longevity and these SNPs or haplotypes inferred from them. A novel rare variant -573A/G was found and was found in heterozygote state only in five persons in the Longevity group. But it was not statistically significant (p = 0.075). We also examined this novel polymorphism -573A/G in another Han Chinese sample from Yunnan province, and it was not associated with longevity. The results from both samples suggest that there is likely no association of the CETP gene promoter polymorphisms with longevity, at least among Han Chinese.