ApoE and ApoC-I polymorphisms: association of genotype with cardiovascular disease phenotype in African Americans

• Main Authors: Erdembileg Anuurad, Masayuki Yamasaki, Neil Shachter, Thomas A. Pearson, Lars Berglund
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2009-07-01
• Series: Journal of Lipid Research
• Subjects: apolipoprotein C-I; apolipoprotein E; coronary artery disease; ethnicity; polymorphism
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002222752030794X

Apolipoproteins (apo) E and C-I are components of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins and impact their metabolism. Functional polymorphisms have been established in apoE but not in apoC-I. We studied the relationship between apoE and apoC-I gene polymorphisms and plasma lipoproteins and coronary artery disease (CAD) in 211 African Americans and 306 Caucasians. In African Americans but not in Caucasians, apoC-I H2-carriers had significantly lower total and LDL cholesterol and apoB levels, and higher glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR levels compared with H1 homozygotes. Differences across CAD phenotypes were seen for the apoC-I polymorphism. African-American H2-carriers without CAD had significantly lower total cholesterol (P < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (P < 0.001), and apoB (P < 0.001) levels compared with H1 homozygotes, whereas no differences were found across apoC-I genotypes for African Americans with CAD. Among African-American apoC-I H1 homozygotes, subjects with CAD had a profile similar to the metabolic syndrome (i.e., higher triglyceride, glucose, and insulin) compared with subjects without CAD. For African-American H2-carriers, subjects with CAD had a pro-atherogenic lipid pattern (i.e., higher LDL cholesterol and apoB levels), compared with subjects without CAD. ApoC-I genotypes showed an ethnically distinct phenotype relationship with regard to CAD and CAD risk factors.