Birth weight and blood lipid levels in Spanish adolescents: influence of selected APOE, APOC3 and PPARgamma2 gene polymorphisms. The AVENA Study.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence indicating that genes involved in certain metabolic processes of cardiovascular diseases may be of particular influence in people with low body weight at birth. We examined whether the apolipoprotein (APO) E, APOC3 and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma-2 (PPARgamma2) polymorphisms influence the association between low birth weight and blood lipid levels in healthy adolescents aged 13-18.5 years.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 502 Spanish adolescents born at term was conducted. Total (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein (apo) A and B, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] were measured. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), TC-HDLc, TC/HDLc and apoB/apoA were calculated.


RESULTS
Low birth weight was associated with higher levels of TC, LDLc, apoB, Lp(a), TC-HDLc, TC/HDLc and apoB/apoA in males with the APOE epsilon3epsilon4 genotype, whereas in females, it was associated with lower HDLc and higher TG levels. In males with the APOC3 S1/S2 genotype, low birth weight was associated with lower apoA and higher Lp(a), yet this association was not observed in females. There were no associations between low birth weight and blood lipids in any of the PPARgamma2 genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that low birth weight has a deleterious influence on lipid profile particularly in adolescents with the APOE epsilon3/epsilon4 genotype. These findings suggest that intrauterine environment interact with the genetic background affecting the lipid profile in later life.
Ruiz
Jonatan R
JR
Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain. ruizj@ugr.es
Labayen
Idoia
I
Ortega
Francisco B
FB
Moreno
Luis A
LA
González-Lamuño
Domingo
D
Martí
Amelia
A
Nova
Esther
E
Fuentes
Miguel García
MG
Redondo-Figuero
Carlos
C
Martínez
J Alfredo
JA
Sjöström
Michael
M
Castillo
Manuel J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000235:genetics; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013030:Spain
D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008055:Lipids; D047495:PPAR gamma