Pharmacogenetic study of cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene and simvastatin treatment in hypercholesterolaemic subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of the I405V and TaqIB polymorphisms of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on the lipid response after simvastatin treatment in 180 hypercholesterolaemic patients.


METHODS
Hypercholesterolaemic patients (n = 180) attending the lipid clinic at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center were genotyped and their response to simvastatin was evaluated.


RESULTS
Sequence variations in the CETP gene influenced the effect of lipid-lowering treatment. Specifically, the I allele of the I405V polymorphism was associated with a greater reduction in triglyceride (TG; p = 0.04) and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p = 0.05) after treatment compared with the V allele.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors' findings suggest that CETP I405V polymorphism modifies the effect of simvastatin on TG reduction and HDL-C elevation; the carriers of the I allele responded better to treatment. These findings need to be confirmed in larger studies.
Anagnostopoulou
Katherine
K
Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, 1st Cardiology Department, 356 Sygrou Avenue, 176 74 Athens, Greece.
Kolovou
Genovefa
G
Kostakou
Peggy
P
Mihas
Constantinos
C
Mikhailidis
Dimitri
D
Cokkinos
Dennis V
DV
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010597:Pharmacogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood
D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D019821:Simvastatin