ACE and ApoE Genotypes and their influences on plasma lipids in Korean men

Choi, Yoon Ho; Lee, Won Ro

Abstract

Hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease are increasing in Korea because of life-style westernization. Most diseases result from complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Genetic bases vary among populations and environmental factors can affect the phenotypic expression of genes. There is a need for the investigation of genetic influences on the major diseases in Korean population. ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) gene polymorphism has been reported to be associated with myocardial infarction. ApoE polymorphism is associated with cholesterol metabolism, atherosclerotic disease and Alzheimer's disease. The purposes of this study were to investigate the distribution of ACE and ApoE genotypes in Korean population and to evaluate the association between ACE and ApoE genotypes and plasma lipid profiles. A total of 675 apparently healthy Korean men who attended a periodic health examination were recruited. The ACE polymorphism was genotyped by PCR amplification of the 190 and 490 bp alleles. Six different genotypes of ApoE polymorphism were determined by reverse-hybridization method after PCR amplification. The frequencies of D and I alleles of ACE genotypes were 44.1% and 55.9% respectively. The allele frequencies of epsilon 2, epsilon 3 and epsilon 4 in ApoE genotypes were 5.3%, 85.4% and 9.3% respectively. Plasma total cholesterol and LDL levels were higher in DD genotype of ACE polymorphism. HDL level was lower in epsilon 4 carriers and total cholesterol and LDL were lower in epsilon 2 carriers of ApoE polymorphism. The distributions of ACE and ApoE genotypes in Korean are different from other populations and each genotype shows characteristic plasma lipid profiles. These data suggest that common genotypic variations can play a role in the pathogenesis of several clinical diseases.