Apolipoprotein E and cholesteryl ester transfer protein polymorphisms in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of apolipoprotein (apo) E polymorphism and a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) polymorphism (CETP/TaqIB) with preeclampsia and with lipid/lipoprotein profile in pregnancy.


METHODS
A group of 144 normal pregnant women (67 in the third trimester) were compared with 51 cases of preeclampsia in the third trimester of gestation. Apo E and CETP genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were evaluated using commercially available kits. LDL size was assessed by gradient gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
No differences were found in the distribution of subjects with respect to genotypes, in the apo E and CETP polymorphisms, between control and pathologic groups. In the third trimester of gestation (both control and case groups considered), apo E polymorphism, but not CETP polymorphism, was associated with different lipid and lipoprotein levels. Patients carrying the E2 allele (E2+) presented with significantly lower values of LDL cholesterol (LDLc) compared with carriers of E4 (E4+) and E3/3 individuals. E2+ also presented with the highest triglyceride (TG) level, although this was not statistically significant. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol (HDLc) and apo A-I levels were significantly reduced in E4+, compared with E3/3. Furthermore, E4+ presented with the highest total cholesterol and LDL and therefore LDLc/HDLc and apo B/apo A-I ratios were significantly higher in this group compared with the other two.


CONCLUSIONS
Neither of our candidate genes showed association with preeclampsia. However, apo E genotype was associated with changes in lipid and lipoprotein profiles in pregnant women.
Belo
Luís
L
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-047 Porto, Portugal. luis_belo@yahoo.com
Gaffney
Dairena
D
Caslake
Muriel
M
Santos-Silva
Alice
A
Pereira-Leite
Luís
L
Quintanilha
Alexandre
A
Rebelo
Irene
I
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; C506642:CETP protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008055:Lipids