title: Increased triglyceride levels in a Japanese population living in southern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the present study we investigated 96 individuals of Japanese descent living in southern Brazil (Cascavel-PR) in terms of triglyceride (TG) levels (> or < or = 200 mg/dL) and compared them to non-Japanese control individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed TG and total cholesterol (TC) levels by an enzymatic method and apolipoprotein A-I and B (apo A-I and apo B) by a turbidimetric method. We also determined the lipoproteins HDL and LDL by a direct method and by electrophoresis. All these determinations were performed in plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TG levels were above 200 mg/dL in 18.7% of the individuals of Japanese descent and in 8.4% of the controls. Mean TC levels were 259 mg/dL for Japanese descendants and 225 mg/dL for the control group. We observed that individuals of Japanese descent with TG levels above 200 mg/dL had the highest TC, LDL-c, and VLDL-c levels and the lowest HDL-c and apo A-I levels. Body mass index (BMI) was also higher in individuals of Japanese descent with TG above 200 mg/dL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Japanese population has high TG levels compared to control individuals, and diet did not influence these levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Cascavel, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parzianello
authors.forename: Nivaldo A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Parzianello
authors.forename: Janice C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004041:Dietary Fats; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol