Alcohol consumption, TaqIB polymorphism of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and risk of coronary heart disease in men and women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether a common polymorphism in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene modifies the relationship of alcohol intake with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).


RESULTS
Parallel nested case-control studies among women [Nurses' Health Study (NHS)] and men [Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS)] where 246 women and 259 men who developed incident CHD were matched to controls (1:2) on age and smoking. The TaqIB variant and alcohol consumption were associated with higher HDL-C, with the most pronounced effects of alcohol among B2 carriers. In the NHS we did not find an inverse association between alcohol and CHD in B2 non-carriers (P trend: 0.5), but did among B2 carriers (P trend <0.01). Among non-carriers the odds ratio (OR) for CHD among women with an intake of 5-14 g/day was 1.4 (95% CI: 0.6-3.7) compared with non-drinkers, whereas among B2 carriers the OR was 0.4 (0.2-0.8). Results in men were less suggestive of an interaction; corresponding OR's were 1.9 (0.8-4.5) and 0.9 (0.5-1.6), for B2 non-carriers and carriers, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The association of alcohol with HDL-C levels was modified by CETP TaqIB2 carrier status, and there was also a suggestion of a gene-environment interaction on the risk of CHD.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. mkj@dce.au.dk
Majken K
MK
Jensen
Kenneth J
KJ
Mukamal
Kim
K
Overvad
Eric B
EB
Rimm
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL