出版社：American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
摘要：Apolipoprotein E (apoE) isoforms are genetic determinants ofinterindividual variations in lipid metabolism. To assess whetherapoE is a genetic risk factor for cholesterol gallstone disease(GD), we analyzed apoE variants in populations from Chile andGermany, two countries with very high prevalence rates of thisdisease. ApoE genotypes were determined in Chilean gallstonepatients (n = 117) and control subjects (n = 122) as well asin German gallstone patients (n = 184) and matched controls(n = 184). In addition, we studied apoE variants in subgroupsof Chilean patients with strong differences in their susceptibilityto acquire gallstones: 50 elderly subjects without gallstonesin spite of well-known risk factors for this disease (gallstone-resistant)and 32 young individuals with gallstones but without risk factors(gallstone-susceptible). Furthermore, correlation analysis ofapoE genotypes with cholesterol crystal formation times, biliarycholesterol saturation index (CSI), and gallstone cholesterolcontents was performed in 81 cholecystectomized patients. Inthis study analyzing the largest sample set available, apoE4genotype was not associated with an increased frequency of GDin either population. Moreover, in the Chilean population afteradjusting for risk factors such as gender, age, body mass index,serum lipids, and glucose, the odds ratio for the associationof the apoE4 allele and GD was significantly (P < 0.05) <1.Also, genotypes were not correlated with cholesterol crystalformation time, CSI, or gallstone cholesterol content. In contrastto previous smaller studies, apoE polymorphisms were not associatedwith susceptibility to cholesterol GD in high-risk populations.Supplementary key words gallstone disease • cholesterol • genetic association study
Abbreviations: apoE, apolipoprotein E; BMI, body mass index; CSI, cholesterol saturation index; GD, gallstone disease
