Effects of apolipoprotein E polymorphism on plasma lipoprotein(a) levels.
Effects of apolipoprotein E (apo E) genetic polymorphism on plasma lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels were investigated in 305 civil service workers (158 men and 147 women). Plasma Lp(a) levels were measured by ELISA. Apo E phenotypes were determined from plasma by isoelectric focusing, Western blotting and immunostaining, as we previously reported. A total of 305 subjects were divided into the three apo E groups; apo E2 group (n = 19 for apo E3/2 and n = 4 for apo E4/2), Apo E3/3 group (n = 224) and apo E4/3 group (n = 58). Mean levels of plasma Lp(a) were 14.2 mg/dl. Plasma Lp(a) levels were significantly lower in the apo E2 group (6.6 mg/dl) than in the apo E3/3 (15.1 mg/dl) and E4/3 (13.7 mg/dl) groups. Plasma total cholesterol (T-chol) and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-chol levels were significantly lower in the apo E2 group than in the apo E4/3 group and tended to be highest in the apo E4/3 group. A significant positive correlation was noted between plasma Lp(a) levels and plasma LDL-chol levels, indicating that the effects of apo E polymorphism on plasma Lp(a) levels were parallel to its effects on plasma LDL-chol levels. In women plasma Lp(a) levels were significantly lower in the apo E2 group than in the apo E3/3 and E4/3 groups, whereas in men plasma Lp(a) levels tended to be lower in the apo E2 group but no significant difference was noted among the three apo E groups. It is concluded that plasma Lp(a) levels are, at least in part, modulated by apo E polymorphism (particularly apo E2) and that there is a gender difference in the effects of apo E polymorphism on plasma Lp(a) levels.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan.
K
K
Horita
M
M
Eto
M
M
Saito
H
H
Nakata
Y
Y
Iwashima
H
H
Ito
M
M
Takahashi
A
A
Kondo
A
A
Morikawa
I
I
Makino
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)