Background: The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is involved in the reverse cholesterol transport and is therefore a candidate gene for atherosclerosis.
Design: The prevalences of the I405V and the R451Q polymorphisms were studied in a population sample of 515 men and women. Genotypes were determined by PCR and carotid atherosclerosis by ultrasonography as the mean intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries.
Results: The Q451 allele was associated with significantly lower intima media thickness in men (P = 0.001). The Q451 allele was, in our earlier study, associated with high plasma CETP activity in men. The VV405 genotype was associated with lower plasma CETP activity compared with the II405 genotype (P < 0.01 for the difference). In the general linear model general factorial procedure the interaction between alcohol consumption and the I405V genotype on IMT was significant (P = 0.013) in men, and when the interaction term was taken into the model the I405V genotype also significantly affected IMT (P = 0.008). The VV405 genotype seems to be most harmful for men with the highest alcohol consumption.
Conclusions: We describe two polymorphisms of the CETP gene associated with intima media thickness in men. A significant interaction was found between alcohol consumption and the I405V genotype on IMT.