SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN FRACTIONAL REMOVAL RATE (K-2) OF FAT EMULSION AND SERUM TRIGLYCERIDE OR APOLIPOPROTEIN-A-I IN SUBJECTS WITHAPOE PHENOTYPE-3 3/

We evaluated the relationship between the removal rate (K-2) of fat em ulsion and serum lipids or apolipoproteins of apoA-I, A-II, and B to a ssess fat emulsion metabolism in subjects who were apoE3/3 homozygotes of wild-type apoE3. K-2 of fat emulsion, Intralipid(R), was determine d by the intravenous fat emulsion tolerance test (FETT) in 184 subject s with apoE phenotype 3/3, including normolipidemic subjects and those with primary hyperlipidemia. Other subjects (n=47) with normolipidemi a or primary hyperlipidemia were also evaluated for comparison; they c onsisted of individuals with apoE phenotype 3/2 and 4/3. In subjects w ith apoE phenotype 3/3, when a single correlation coeffcient was calcu lated, there were significant correlations between K-2 and the serum l evel of triglyceride (TG) (r=-0.48), total cholesterol (r=-0.15), apoB (r=-0.27), HDL cholesterol (r=0.42), and apoA-I (r=0.26). Multiple re gression analysis for elimination of internal correlations revealed si gnificant correlations between K-2 and the serum level of TG (r=-0.46, p<0.001) or apoA-I (r=0.23, p<0.01: multiple correlation coefficient= 0.51, p<0.001). No significant correlations between K-2 and serum lipi ds or apolipoproteins were observed in subjects with apoE phenotypes o ther than 3/3. We suggest that K-2 is strongly related to serum TG and apoA-I in subjects with apoE phenotype 3/3 and that this relationship is unique and specific to subjects with this phenotype.