Aging and genetic variation of plasma apolipoproteins. Relative loss of the apolipoprotein E4 phenotype in centenarians.
We determined the common polymorphism of apolipoprotein E (E2, E3, and E4), apolipoprotein B Xba I polymorphism, and apolipoprotein C-III Sst I polymorphism in almost all Finnish centenarians alive in 1991 (n = 179/185). Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in different apolipoprotein genotypes were also measured. In comparison with younger Finnish populations studied previously, the frequency of the apolipoprotein E epsilon 2 allele was almost twice as high (7.0% versus 4.1%; P < .05) and that of the epsilon 4 allele only approximately one third as high (8.4% versus 22.7%; P < .001) in the centenarians. Plasma cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels tended to be lowest in the group with the epsilon 2 allele (4.33 mmol/L and 1.41 mmol/L, respectively), intermediate in those with the epsilon 3 allele (4.57 mmol/L and 1.48 mmol/L, respectively), and highest in those with the epsilon 4 allele (4.82 mmol/L and 1.60 mmol/L, respectively). The frequencies of the apolipoprotein B X1 and X2 alleles (Xba I restriction site absent or present, respectively) among the centenarians and among the young Finns were not significantly different, whereas the apolipoprotein C-III S2 allele (Sst I restriction site present) occurred more often in the centenarians (frequency, 12.9%) than in the youngest reference population (frequency, 8.8%; P < .05). Centenarians with the apolipoprotein B X2X2 genotype and apolipoprotein E4 phenotype had a higher mean plasma cholesterol level than those with the X1X1 genotype and E2 phenotype (5.24 versus 3.43 mmol/L; P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Second Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
J
J
Louhija
H E
HE
Miettinen
K
K
Kontula
M J
MJ
Tikkanen
T A
TA
Miettinen
R S
RS
Tilvis
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol