Expressive

rs10282644 (CD36): Blood and Fat Expression Variant

Key takeaways

  • rs10282644 reduces CD36 gene activity in both whole blood and subcutaneous fat tissue
  • CD36 encodes a scavenger receptor involved in fatty acid transport and immune cell activation
  • The expression change is small but confirmed across two tissue types in a dataset of 953 donors
  • No disease outcome associations for this variant appear in the literature reviewed here
  • The clinical significance of reduced CD36 expression in these tissues remains unstudied

Key takeaways

  • rs10282644 reduces CD36 gene activity in both whole blood and subcutaneous fat tissue
  • CD36 encodes a scavenger receptor involved in fatty acid transport and immune cell activation
  • The expression change is small but consistent across two tissue types, confirmed in a dataset of 953 donors
  • No disease outcome associations for this variant appear in the literature reviewed here
  • The clinical significance of reduced CD36 expression in these tissues remains unstudied

What the research says rs10282644 is a cis-eQTL (a genetic variant that influences expression of a nearby gene) for CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36, also called platelet glycoprotein 4 and fatty acid translocase), a multifunctional scavenger receptor involved in fatty acid uptake and immune cell activation. Carriers of the alternative allele show reduced CD36 expression in both whole blood and subcutaneous adipose (under-skin fat) tissue, each with an effect size of -0.08 in log2-normalized units GTEx Portal. A genome-wide association meta-analysis of 40 circulating cytokines (proteins that regulate immune signaling) in up to 74,783 individuals mapped 359 significant variant-cytokine associations across 169 independent loci, providing broader context for the genetic architecture of immune regulation in which CD36 biology is embedded.

Reported associations

  • CD36 expression in whole blood: The alternative allele is associated with reduced CD36 expression (effect size -0.08 log2-normalized units, p=2.4e-5, FDR <0.05) GTEx Portal
  • CD36 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue: The alternative allele is associated with reduced CD36 expression (effect size -0.08 log2-normalized units, p=3.5e-5, FDR <0.05) GTEx Portal

Evidence quality The eQTL associations come from GTEx v11, which includes 953 donors across many tissues analyzed within a cis-window at FDR <0.05 GTEx Portal. Effect sizes are small but consistent: the same slope of -0.08 in log2-normalized units appears in both whole blood (p=2.4e-5) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (p=3.5e-5), which supports cross-tissue reproducibility even in the absence of a separate replication cohort. The cytokine GWAS meta-analysis referenced above included up to 74,783 individuals and detected 359 significant locus-cytokine associations, but rs10282644 is not individually named or discussed in the provided study text, and no disease outcome GWAS results for this locus are available in the sources reviewed. Overall, the evidence is limited to expression-level effects; associations with disease outcomes, drug responses, or clinical phenotypes have not been reported in the studies provided.

Tissue-specific expression effects

  • CD36: Expression is reduced in whole blood and subcutaneous adipose tissue in carriers of the alternative allele; effect size is identical across both tissues (-0.08 log2-normalized units) GTEx Portal

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What is rs10282644?

rs10282644 is a genetic variant (a single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP) associated with reduced expression of the CD36 gene in blood and fat tissue. It is classified as an eQTL, meaning it influences how much CD36 protein the body produces in specific tissues.

What does the CD36 gene do?

CD36 encodes a scavenger receptor that helps cells take up fatty acids and plays roles in immune cell activation and signaling. It is active in many tissues including blood cells and adipose (fat) tissue.

Is rs10282644 linked to any diseases?

No disease outcome associations are reported for rs10282644 in the studies reviewed here. The available evidence is limited to gene expression effects observed in two tissue types.

What is an eQTL and why does it matter for rs10282644?

An eQTL (expression quantitative trait locus) is a genetic variant that influences how active a nearby gene is in a particular tissue. For rs10282644, the variant reduces CD36 activity in blood and fat tissue, which may point to a biological mechanism but does not by itself confirm any health effect.

Which tissues show changed CD36 expression with rs10282644?

GTEx data from 953 donors identifies reduced CD36 expression in whole blood and subcutaneous adipose (under-skin fat) tissue in carriers of the alternative allele, with the same small effect size observed in both.