Carotid artery intima-media thickness and brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation in asymptomatic Japanese male subjects amongst apolipoprotein E phenotypes.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies suggest that apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism influences plasma lipoprotein levels and the development of cardiovascular disease.


OBJECTIVE
To clarify the role of apoE polymorphism as a risk factor for early atherosclerosis.


METHODS
Using a high-resolution ultrasound method, we investigated the association between apoE phenotypes, carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), and flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery (brachial-FMD) in 96 healthy asymptomatic Japanese men (mean +/- SD age, 50 +/- 8 years).


RESULTS
Serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in subjects with E3E4 were highest and those with E2E3 were lowest (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). The CCA-IMT in E3E4 subjects (0.76 +/- 0.17 mm) was greater than that in E2E3 and E3E3 (0.61 +/- 0.15 and 0.64 +/- 0.14 mm, respectively; P < 0.01). In contrast, there was no difference between brachial-FMD and apoE phenotypes (P=0.15). By univariate analysis, CCA-IMT was positively correlated with age (r=0.51, P < 0.01), LDL-chol/HDL-chol ratio (r=0.37, P < 0.01), triglycerides (r=0.23, P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with HDL-cholesterol (r=-0.31, P < 0.01). An association between CCA-IMT and the presence of E4 allele was also found (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of E4 allele was a higher risk for increased IMT (relative risk of 4.4, 95% CI 1.5-12.5), even after adjustment for age, LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure and other known risk factors. A negative correlation between brachial-FMD and CCA-IMT was also found in all subjects (r=-0.21, P < 0.05), being most apparent in the E3E4 subjects (r=-0.53, P < 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
ApoE4 phenotype was independently associated with an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis and elevated LDL-cholesterol levels in asymptomatic middle-aged Japanese men.
Haraki
T
T
Division of Internal Medicine, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, Fukui, Japan. tatsuo.h@p2242.nsk.ne.jp
Takegoshi
T
T
Kitoh
C
C
Wakasugi
T
T
Saga
T
T
Hirai
J-I
JI
Aoyama
T
T
Inazu
A
A
Mabuchi
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation
D001057:Apolipoproteins E