Phenotype of apolipoprotein E influences the lipid metabolic response of postmenopausal women to hormone replacement therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether the phenotype of apolipoprotein E (apo E) would influence the response of postmenopausal Japanese women to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).


METHODS
We measured the plasma levels of lipoprotein and apolipoprotein in 242 postmenopausal women at baseline and again after 12 months of HRT. Patients were divided into three groups according to apo E phenotype: E2+ (E2/2 and E2/3, n=21), E3/3 (n=176), E4+ (E3/4 and E4/4, n=45).


RESULTS
We found that the E4+ group had the highest levels of total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, being significantly higher than in the E2+ group at baseline. The plasma levels of total and LDL cholesterol showed a significant decrease only in the E2+ and E3/3 groups after 12 months of HRT (E2+ group, total cholesterol -8.9% and LDL cholesterol -21.5%; E3/3 group, total cholesterol -2.9% and LDL cholesterol -9.5%). No significant difference in the reduction of total and LDL cholesterol was found in the E4+ group. Other lipid parameters did not differ in the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These data show that the apo E phenotype influenced the response of lipid metabolism in postmenopausal women to HRT, especially in the reduction of LDL cholesterol. Therefore, apo E phenotyping may be important in predicting the cholesterol-lowering effect of HRT.
Tsuda
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minamiku, Hiroshima, Japan. tsuda@pg7.so-net.ne.jp
Sanada
M
M
Nakagawa
H
H
Kodama
I
I
Sakashita
T
T
Ohama
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007564:Japan; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate