Gender-related effect of apo E polymorphism on lipoprotein particle sizes in the middle-aged subjects.
OBJECTIVE
We determined the frequencies of apolipoprotein E (apo E) alleles and examined the effect of apo E polymorphism on lipoprotein particle sizes in Serbian healthy, middle-aged individuals.


METHODS
We performed apo E phenotype by immunobloting method in 183 men and 143 women (mean years: 56.3+/-10.60 and 54.9+/-10.31, respectively). Plasma lipid and apolipoprotein levels were measured by routine laboratory methods. LDL and HDL particle sizes were determined by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient (3-31%) gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
The apo E allele frequencies were epsilon2--4.9%, epsilon3--86.5%, and epsilon4--8.6%. Men with epsilon4 allele had lower HDL-C and Apo AI concentrations than epsilon3 men. The epsilon2 allele men had the smallest LDL particles, highest percent of subjects with LDL phenotype B and highest TG/HDL-C ratio. Women with epsilon2 allele had lowest concentration of apo B. The epsilon4 allele women had smallest HDL particles and highest percent of the subjects with small-sized HDL phenotype.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed gender-related effect of apo E polymorphism on lipoprotein particle size. In men, possession of the epsilon2 allele is associated with small LDL particles, whereas in women, epsilon4 allele is associated with small HDL particles. Differences in gender-related influence of apo E polymorphism on LDL and HDL particle sizes could be clinically useful in strategy for reduction of coronary disease risk in middle-aged men and women.
Topic
Aleksandra
A
Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia. atopic@pharmacy.bg.ac.yu
Spasojevic Kalimanovska
Vesna
V
Zeljkovic
Aleksandra
A
Vekic
Jelena
J
Jelic Ivanovic
Zorana
Z
D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008074:Lipoproteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms