title: The Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A 1 ratio in relation to metabolic syndrome and its components in a sample of the Tunisian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A 1 (ApoB/ApoA 1) ratio and various characteristics of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a sample of the Tunisian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 330 adults aged 35-74 (172 patients with MetS and 158 controls). Waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin, and apolipoprotein concentrations were measured. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was used to assess insulin resistance (IR). MetS was defined by NCEP-ATPIII report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio was significantly higher in patients with MetS versus normal control subjects (p<0.001). Mean values of ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio increased significantly as the numbers of MetS components increased in men (p<0.001) and women (p<0.001). ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio showed statistically significant associations with WC, HDL-C, TG, systolic and diastolic BP, and HOMA-IR. After adjusting for age and gender, the high ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio was significantly associated with the presence of MetS (odds ratio [OR]=6.10), IR (OR=1.88), and with each of the MetS components, including: high WC (OR=2.43), High TG (OR=6.14), and low HDL-C (OR=6.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio is strongly associated with MetS and its components, as well as with IR.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Tunis, Tunisia. hanen_belfki@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belfki
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Ali
authors.forename: Souha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bougatef
authors.forename: Decy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ben Ahmed
authors.forename: Najet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Awatef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jmal
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdennebi
authors.forename: Habiba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Romdhane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: C505693:APOA1 protein, human; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B