APOLIPOPROTEIN-B GENE DNA POLYMORPHISMS (ECORI AND MSPI) AND SERUM-LIPID LEVELS IN THE SERBIAN HEALTHY POPULATION - INTERACTION OF RARE ALLELES AND SMOKING AND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

The frequency of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) of the apolipoprotein B (ape B) gene, detected by EcoRI and MspI, and the ir influence on serum lipids were studied in a total of 239 healthy su bjects from the Belgrade area. The influence of interaction between di fferent genotypes and smoking was also studied. The relative frequency of both rare R2 and M2 alleles (lacking the cutting site) was similar to that reported in other groups of Caucasians (0.16 and 0.11, respec tively). No association was observed between the apo B genotypes and s erum lipid levels adjusted for age, body mass index, and blood pressur e either in the whole sample or in either women or men. When smokers a nd non-smokers were considered separately, smoking had a significant i mpact on total cholesterol variability in all individuals with genotyp e M1M2 and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol variability in w omen with genotype R1R2. The presence of the rare alleles of these two polymorphisms in smokers was associated with lower lipid levels in th e whole sample and in both women and men analyzed separately, except f or an increase of HDL cholesterol level in male smokers, heterozygous for EcoRI polymorphism (R1R2). (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss,Inc.