title: Apolipoprotein E polymorphism influences postprandial retinyl palmitate but not triglyceride concentrations.
abstract: To quantify the effect of the apolipoprotein (apo) E polymorphism on the magnitude of postprandial lipemia, we have defined its role in determining the response to a single high-fat meal in a large sample of (N = 474) individuals taking part in the biethnic Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. The profile of postprandial response in plasma was monitored over 8 h by triglyceride, triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TGRL)-triglyceride, apo B-48/apo B-100 ratio, and retinyl palmitate concentrations, and the apo E polymorphism was determined by DNA amplification and digestion. The frequency of the apo E alleles and their effects on fasting lipid levels in this sample were similar to those reported elsewhere. Postprandial plasma retinyl palmitate response to a high-fat meal with vitamin A was significantly different among apo E genotypes, with delayed clearance in individuals with an epsilon 2 allele, compared with epsilon 3/3 and epsilon 3/4 individuals. In the sample of 397 Caucasians, average retinyl palmitate response was 1,489 micrograms/dl in epsilon 2/3 individuals, compared with 1,037 micrograms/dl in epsilon 3/3 individuals and 1,108 micrograms/dl in epsilon 3/4 individuals. The apo E polymorphism accounted for 7.1% of the interindividual variation in postprandial retinyl palmitate response, a contribution proportionally greater than its well-known effect on fasting LDL-cholesterol. However, despite this effect on postprandial retinyl palmitate, the profile of postprandial triglyceride response was not significantly different among apo E genotypes. The profile of postprandial response was consistent between the sample of Caucasians and a smaller sample of black subjects. While these data indicate that the removal of remnant particles from circulation is delayed in subjects with the epsilon 2/3 genotype, there is no reported evidence that the epsilon 2 allele predisposes to coronary artery disease (CAD). The results of this study provide not only a reliable estimate of the magnitude of the effect of the apo E polymorphism on various measurements commonly used to characterize postprandial lipemia, but also provide mechanistic insight into the effects of the apo E gene polymorphism on postprandial lipemia and CAD.
authors.affiliation: Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston 77225.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boerwinkle
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sharrett
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Patsch
mesh_terms: D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000032:analysis; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D004224:Diterpenes; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004224:Diterpenes; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014280:Triglycerides; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate