Impact of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotypes, and diet on serum lipids and lipoproteins in infancy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the influence of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotypes, and diet on the interindividual variances in serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in children at 7 and 13 months of age.


METHODS
Prospective randomized intervention trial. Half of 1062 families with 7-month-old infants received dietary and lifestyle counseling aimed at partially replacing saturated fat with mono- and polyunsaturated fat and reducing exposure to other known atherosclerosis risk factors. This study comprises all trial children who at 8 months of age received, in addition to solid food, only breast milk or only formula (N = 553). Forward stepwise multiple regression analysis was used in the evaluation of the contributions of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype, and diet.


RESULTS
Apolipoprotein E phenotypes, gender, and milk type provided independent information concerning serum lipid values at 7 and 13 months of age (three-way ANOVA, p < 0.01). At 7 months, milk type was the most significant predictor of total, non-high-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B and A1 concentrations. At 13 months when the effects of gender (5%) and apolipoprotein E type (5%) were excluded, diet predicted only 2% of the variance in serum cholesterol concentration. The apolipoprotein E type predicted 8% of the variance in non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and 7% of the variance in apolipoprotein B concentration (p < 0.001), together explaining only 3% of the variance in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
At 7 months of age diet is an important predictor of serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. At the age of 13 months the apolipoprotein E phenotype significantly predicts the concentrations of serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. However, at both ages apolipoprotein E phenotype, gender, and diet together explain only from 1.4% to 15.5% of the variance in serum lipids and apolipoproteins, suggesting that other, presumably genetic, factors are major determinants.
Lapinleimu
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku, Finland.
Vükari
J
J
Nünikoski
H
H
Tuominen
J
J
Rönnemaa
T
T
Välimäki
I
I
Marniemi
J
J
Jokinen
E
E
Ehnholm
C
C
Simell
O
O
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol