title: Apolipoprotein E polymorphism--a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic syndrome is closely related to several disturbances in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine the association between apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotypes and the risk of metabolic syndrome and/or coronary heart disease complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 279 subjects divided into three groups: 1) control subjects, 2) metabolic syndrome patients, and 3) obese patients with coronary heart disease. All subjects were characterized by body mass index, and plasma levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). ApoE genotypes were identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism using genomic DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis of plasma parameters showed that subjects in groups 2 and 3 had higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of HDL-C compared to group 1. The frequencies of apoE genotypes determined in this Romanian population (65% for E3/3, 19.6% for E4/3, 9.5% for E3/2, 4.1% for E2/2, 0.6% for E4/4, 1.3% for E4/2) were in agreement with those reported for other Caucasian populations. The distribution of apoE alleles indicated a higher frequency of epsilon4 in groups 2 and 3. There was a higher frequency of the apoE4/3 genotype in groups 2 and 3, which was significantly correlated with higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of HDL-C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Correlations of apoE genotypes with these markers indicate that the epsilon4 allele is an independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Lipoproteins and Atherosclerosis, Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology Nicolae Simionescu, Bucharest, Romania. anca.sima@icbp.ro
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sima
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iordan
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stancu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids