Compelling association of aspartic acid repeat polymorphism in the asporin gene with knee osteoarthritis susceptibility in Han Chinese population

A debating genetic association with osteoarthritis (OA) of functional alleles in the aspartic acid (D) repeat of the asporin gene was recently reported in Japanese, the United Kingdom, Greek and Spanish Caucasians. Our objective was to assess whether the D repeat polymorphism is associated with knee OA in Han Chinese population. The D repeat was genotyped in 218 patients who suffered from primary knee OA and in 454 age-matched controls who never had any clinical symptoms of OA, and association was examined. D14 allele was significantly over represented in KOA patients (P=0.0013, OR=2.04, 95%CI=1.32-3.15). The data of D14 versus D13 suggested that it was similar to data of D14 versus others (P=0.005 2, OR=1.88, 95%CI=1.21-2.92). There were no significant differences in other comparisons. Our data show compelling association aspartic acid repeat polymorphism residues in the asporin gene with knee OA susceptibility in Han Chinese population. Our results, together with reports from Japan, indicate that D14 allele of asporin is an important factor in knee OA susceptibility at least among East Asians.