3 POLYMORPHISMS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW HEPATIC LIPASE ACTIVITY ARE COMMON IN AFRICAN-AMERICANS

We have shown preciously that a hepatic lipase allele (designated -514 T) is common among African Americans and contributes to low hepatic li pase activity in this population. To identify other hepatic lipase all eles associated with low hepatic lipase activity in this population, t he coding region and intron-exon boundaries of the hepatic lipase gene were sequenced in 20 African American men with low hepatic lipase act ivity. Two polymorphisms (N193S and L334F) were associated with low po st-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity and were much more common in African Americans than in whites. This finding, together with our pre vious data on the -514T allele, indicates that at least three differen t hepatic lipase polymorphisms associated with low hepatic lipase acti vity are common among African Americans. Analysis of hepatic lipase ha plotypes revealed that 97% of African Americans have at least one hepa tic lipase allele that is associated with low hepatic lipase activity.