K. Raslova et al., APOLIPOPROTEIN-E GENOTYPES IN OFFSPRING WITH A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FAMILY HISTORY OF PREMATURE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION, Clinical genetics, 53(5), 1998, pp. 387-390
Apolipoprotein E (apo-E) allele and genotype frequencies were evaluate
d in offspring with positive (MI-offspring) and negative (control-offs
pring) parental history of myocardial infarction (MI). The apo-E allel
e frequencies in MI-and control-offspring were as follows: epsilon 2:
9.04 and 2.08% (p < 0.02), epsilon 3: 84.04 and 87.5%, epsilon 4: 6.91
and 10.41%, respectively. The frequencies of the E2-genotypes were si
gnificantly lower in offspring of controls (4.2%, 17.0%, respectively,
p < 0.03). The epsilon 2-allele is associated with raised plasma trig
lyceride concentrations in subjects on a diet high in saturated fat. W
e therefore hypothesize that offspring carrying an epsilon 2-allele ar
e predisposed to develop disturbance of plasma triglyceride metabolism
when exposed to a traditional Slovak high-fat diet and/or weight gain
, resulting in altered lipid levels and increased predisposition to at
herosclerosis.