Apolipoprotein E polymorphism affects the response to pravastatin on plasma apolipoproteins in diabetic patients.
In the present study, we examined the levels of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with hypercholesterolemia in different apolipoprotein E (apo E) phenotypes. We also examined the influences of apo E polymorphism on the response to pravastatin. The patients were divided into three groups, E4/E3, E3/E3, and E3/E2. There were no differences in the baseline levels of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins, except that the level of triglycerides in E3/E2 heterozygotes was significantly higher than E3/E3 homozygotes. Three months of pravastatin administration significantly reduced plasma levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in each group to the same degree. We observed a significant reduction of apo B both in the E4/E3 and E3/E3 groups and apo E in the E3/E3 group. Such reduction was not observed in the E3/E2 group. We conclude that pravastatin is a potent drug to correct lipid abnormalities, particularly in NIDDM patients with apo E4/E3 and E3/E3. In the E3/E2 group, its effectiveness may be diminished.
Watanabe
J
J
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kobayashi
K
K
Umeda
F
F
Yamauchi
T
T
Mimura
K
K
Nakashima
N
N
Masakado
M
M
Hiramatsu
S
S
Nawata
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015415:Biomarkers; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D017035:Pravastatin