Characteristics of the participants according to CAD status.

<p>Characteristics of the participants according to CAD status.</p

Association between <i>APOE</i> genotypes and other cardio-metabolic risk factors.

<p>Association between <i>APOE</i> genotypes and other cardio-metabolic risk factors.</p

Association of <i>APOE</i> gene polymorphism with lipid profile and coronary artery disease in Afro-Caribbeans

<div><p>Objectives</p><p>Apolipoprotein E gene (<i>APOE</i>) polymorphism is associated with the lipid profile and cardio-vascular disease. However, these relationships vary between ethnic groups.</p><p>We evaluated, for the first time in an Afro-Caribbean population, the distribution of <i>APOE</i> polymorphisms and their associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), the lipid profile and other cardio-metabolic risk factors.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We studied 712 Afro-Caribbean subjects including 220 with documented CAD and 492 healthy subjects. TaqMan assays were performed to genotype rs7412 and rs429358, the two variants that determine the <i>APOE</i> alleles ε2, ε3 and ε4. The association between <i>APOE</i> genotype and the lipid profile was analysed by comparing ε2 carriers, ε3 homozygotes and ε4 carriers.</p><p>Results</p><p>The frequencies of ε2, ε3 and ε4 in the overall sample were 8%, 70% and 22%, respectively. CAD was not associated with <i>APOE</i> polymorphism. The total cholesterol level was higher in ε4 carriers compared with ε2 carriers: 5.07 vs 4.59 mmol/L (P = 0.016). The LDL-cholesterol level was lower in <i>APOE</i> ε2 carriers compared with ε3 homozygotes and ε4 carriers: 2.65 vs 3.03 and 3.17 mmol/L, respectively (p = 0.002). The total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios were similar in the three allelic groups. <i>APOE</i> polymorphism was not associated with diabetes, hypertension, waist circumference or body mass index.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Our results indicate that <i>APOE</i> gene polymorphism is associated with the lipid profile but not with CAD in Afro-Caribbean people. This lack of association with CAD may be explained by the low atherogenic profile observed in ε4 carriers, which may warrant further investigation.</p></div

Association between APOE genotype, cardiovascular risk factors, and CAD.

<p>Association between APOE genotype, cardiovascular risk factors, and CAD.</p

Association between lipid levels and <i>APOE</i> genotypes in non-CAD subjects.

<p>Association between lipid levels and <i>APOE</i> genotypes in non-CAD subjects.</p