Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and serum lipid levels in the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations

作者:Yin Ruixing*; Pan Shangling; Wu Jinzhen; Lin Weixiong; Yang Dezhai
来源:Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2008, 233(4): 409-418.
DOI:10.3181/0709-RM-254

摘要

Hei Yi Zhuang is an isolated subgroup of the Zhuang minority in China. Little is known about the distribution of apolipoprotein (apo) E genetic variations and its role in lipid metabolism in this population. The present study was undertaken to compare the effect of apoE gene polymorphism on serum lipid levels between the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations. A total of 873 subjects of Hei Yi Zhuang and 867 participants of Han Chinese were surveyed by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Genotyping of apoE was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequencies of epsilon:2, epsilon 3, and epsilon 4 alleles were 15.23%,79.84%, and 4.93% in Hei Yi Zhuang, and 9.23%, 81.43%, and 9.34% in Han (P < 0.001); respectively. The frequencies of epsilon 2/epsilon 2, epsilon 2/epsilon 3, epsilon 2/ epsilon 4, epsilon 3/epsilon 3, epsilon 3/epsilon 4, and epsilon 4/epsilon 4 genotypes were 4.70%, 17.86%, 3.21 %, 68.16%, 5.50%, and 0.57% in Hei Yi Zhuang, and 2.54%, 9.23%, 4.15%, 70.70%, 12.23%, and 1.15% in Han (P < 0.001); respectively. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apoB levels were lower in Hei Yi Zhuang than in Han (P < 0.01-0.001), but high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and the ratio of apoA-1 to apoB were higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than in Han (P < 0.001 for each). There were significant differences in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and apoB levels among the six genotypes in both ethnic groups (P < 0.01-0.001). Hyperlipidemia was positively correlated with age, body mass index, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and apoE allele in both populations (P < 0.05-0.001). TC, LDL-C, and apoB levels were positively correlated, and HDL-C levels were negatively associated with apoE genotypes in both ethnic groups (P < 0.001 for all). The differences in the lipid profiles between Hei Yi Zhuang and Han Chinese might partly attribute to the differences in apoE genotypic and allelic frequencies.