High allele frequency of apolipoprotein(a) phenotype LpS4 is associated with low serum Lp(a) concentrations in Koreans.
We determined apo(a) phenotypes using SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting in samples from a control group of 179 and from 68 Korean patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The CAD group showed significantly higher Lp(a) levels than the control group, which might be partially attributable to the differences in apo(a) phenotype frequencies although it was not statistically significant, and was partially attributable to the significant difference in Lp(a) levels of S2 or null phenotypes between the two groups. The apo(a) allele frequencies between ethnic groups already reported (Austrians, American blacks, Japanese, and Koreans), were compared by the Chi-square test. In the Korean population, the apo(a) allele frequencies demonstrated a high frequency of the LpS4 allele associated with a low Lp(a) concentration. This result suggests that the concentration and allele frequency of Lp(a) might be one of the factors in explaining the low incidence of CAD in the Korean population.
Kim
J Q
JQ
Department of Clinical Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
Song
J H
JH
D000483:Alleles; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007723:Korea; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D010641:Phenotype
D001054:Apolipoproteins A; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)