title: Association between apolipoprotein E polymorphism, lipids, and coronary artery disease in Tunisian type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism, fasting lipid parameters, and coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied this relationship, for the first time, in Tunisian type 2 diabetic patients. The studied population comprised 157 type 2 diabetic patients (145 of them were not on any lipid-lowering drugs). Fasting lipids were measured by enzymatic methods and ApoE genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that the alleles E2, E3, and E4 were found in 4%, 88%, and 8% of patients, respectively. In the total type 2 diabetic population, no association was found between ApoE polymorphism, lipid parameters, and CAD. However, the E4 allele was associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and with CAD in type 2 diabetic men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of ApoE polymorphism on CAD is gender-dependent in the Tunisian type 2 diabetic population. ApoE 4 allele may enhance atherogenesis indirectly by a strong effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, CHU Monastir 5019, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaaba
authors.forename: Nebil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smaoui
authors.forename: Khaldoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Hamda
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammami