title: The Distribution of Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphism and Apolipoprotein E Levels among Coronary Artery Patients Compared to Controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disease that is caused by various genetics and environmental factors. Genetically, predisposition is an important component for CAD. The candidate apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene is the most studied one. ApoE is composed of e2, e3, e4 alleles and E2/2, E2/3, E2/4, E3/3, E3/4, E4/4 genotypes. In this study, the relationship between CAD and apoE polymorphism and apoE level has been studied in Tokat region.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population is composed of 100 CAD patients diagnosed by coronary angiography and 100 control patients of whom fifty have normal coronary angiography and fifty did not have any CAD symptoms. The serum lipid and apoE levels and apoE genotypes of all participants have been measured, and the relationship between these parameters has been evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apolipoprotein E, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were statistically low at CAD patients than control patients (p=0.0004, p=0.0005, p=0.0107, p=0.0052 respectively). There was not any significant difference between triglyceride levels (p=0.0848). Waist circumferences were significantly high at CAD patients (p=0.0012). Allele frequencies were as e2 (7.25%), e3 (83.5%), e4 (9.25%) and genotype distributions were as E2/2 (0.5%), E2/3 (13%), E2/4 (0.5%), E3/3 (68.5%), E3/4 (16.5%), E4/4 (1%). The distribution of alleles and genotypes were not significantly different (p>0.05). ApoE levels were higher at e2 allele carriers than e3 and e4 allele carriers (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between e3 and e4 allele carriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the distribution of apoE genotype and allele at our region is similar to the general of Turkey. The low apoE levels in CAD patients may show the influence of apoE on CAD by local and systemic mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Atatürk University School of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Atis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Gaziosmanpaşa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semsettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziosmanpaşa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Koksal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Gaziosmanpaşa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozyurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Gaziosmanpaşa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Gaziosmanpaşa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Benli
keywords: Coronary artery disease; apoE genotype; apoE level