Background: Apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) has been shown to modulate plasma triglyceride concentrations. The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been implicated in cholesterol and triglyceride homeostasis in humans and plays an important role in atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the genotypic distribution of the APOA5 -1131T>C and APOE polymorphisms and to identify the combined association of these variants between patients with and without severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG).
Methods: We genotyped 96 individuals who had reached plasma TG concentrations of more than 10 mmol/L and 225 ischemic patients without severe HTG.
Results: Minor allele carriers were significantly more frequent in HTG group for all three polymorphisms (APOA5, APOE2 and APOE4). Adjusted individual risks for severe HTG were: APOA5 -1131C, OR=4.1 (95%CI:2.02-8.24); APOE2, OR=1.6 (95%CI:0.73-3.58); APOE4, OR=3.0 (95%CI:1.68-5.86). Adjusted risks for APOA5-APOE combinations were: APOA5 -1131C/APOE2, OR=45.2 (95%CI:4.92-415.5); APOA5 -1131C/APOE4, OR=6.4 (95%CI:2.28-18.01).
Conclusions: These data provide evidence that APOA5 -1131T>C polymorphism is associated with risk for severe HTG. Furthermore, this effect is strongly increased when -1131C variant is combined with APOE variants.