E2 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism is predictive for obesity status in Roma minority population of Croatia.
OBJECTIVE
The Roma (Gypsies) are a transnational minority, founder population characterized by unique genetic background modeled by culturally determined endogamy. The present study explores whether the widely found cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk effects of ACE I/D, APOE (ε2, ε3, ε4), eNOS-VNTR and LEP G2548A polymorphisms can be replicated in this specific population.


RESULTS
The community-based study was carried on 208 adult Bayash Roma living in rural settlements of eastern and northern Croatia. Risk effect of four CVD candidate polymorphisms are related to the most prominent classical CVD risk phenotypes: obesity indicators (body mass index and waist circumference), hypertension and hyperlipidemia (triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol). For all of them the standard risk cut-offs were applied. The extent to which the phenotypic status is related to genotype was assessed by logistic regression analysis. The strongest associations were found for ε2 allele of the APOE as a predictor of waist circumference (OR 3.301; 95%CI 1.254-8.688; p = 0.016) as well as for BMI (OR 3.547; 95%CI 1.471-8.557; p = 0.005). It is notable that ε3 allele of APOE gene turned out to be a protective genetic factor determining low lipid levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The strength of the relation and the similarity of the results obtained for both tested indicators of obesity provide firm evidence that APOE plays an important role in obesity development in the Roma population.
Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Hospital «Merkur», Zajčeva 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. hmzeljko@gmail.com
Hrvojka Marija
HM
Zeljko
Tatjana
T
Škarić-Jurić
Nina Smolej
NS
Narančić
Željka
Ž
Tomas
Ana
A
Barešić
Marijana Peričić
MP
Salihović
Boris
B
Starčević
Branka
B
Janićijević
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D053329:Apolipoprotein E2 / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017523:Croatia; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D006178:Romani People; D055105:Waist Circumference
D053329:Apolipoprotein E2
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