The effects of the cholesterol ester transfer protein gene and environmental factors on the plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the Korean population

• Published in: Molecules and cells Vol. 7; no. 5; p. 615
• Main Authors: Song, G J, Han, G H, Chae, J J, Namkoong, Y, Lee, H K, Park, Y B, Lee, C C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 31-10-1997
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Body Mass Index; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; Cholesterol Esters - genetics; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Feeding Behavior; Female; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Glycoproteins; Humans; Korea; Male; Middle Aged; Point Mutation; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Sex Factors; Smoking
• ISSN: 1016-8478
• DOI: 10.1016/s1016-8478(23)13348-6

The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a plasma glycoprotein that transfers neutral lipids between plasma lipoproteins. The distribution of variations in the CETP gene and their influences on lipid levels were investigated among random members of the Korean population (n = 270) whose profiles of environmental factors were known. The frequencies of the major allele at BamHI, EcoNI, TaqIA, TaqIB, New HinfI RFLPs, and the D442G mutation were 0.77, 0.55, 0.84, 0.62, 0.81, and 0.94, in serial order. The significant associations of the BamHI RFLP and the D442G mutation with the plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were observed in this population. Subjects with genotype B2B2 of the BamHI RFLP had significantly lower HDL cholesterol levels than the mean of total subjects. Subjects with D442G mutant allele had a significantly higher HDL cholesterol levels only in males. Analysis of the covariance model (ANOCOVA) showed that allelic variations in the BamHI RFLP and the D442G mutation sites accounted independently for 4.0 and 5.9% of the total inter-individual variation in plasma HDL cholesterol in males (F = 2.29, p = 0.10; F = 3.4, p = 0.03). The effect of the CETP genotype was very high (about 10%), compared to the total effects of sex, body mass index, age, and smoking habit (20%). In conclusion, the genetic variation of the CETP gene is related to the regulation of plasma HDL cholesterol levels and the extent of the effect seems to be different between male and female in the Korean population.