Taq1B CETP polymorphism, plasma CETP, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins and sex differences in a Jewish population sample characterized by low HDL-cholesterol

Mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations are low in the Jewish population of Israel. With this in mind we assessed the associa tion of the Taq1B CETP polymorphism, plasma CETP mass and plasma lipid, lip oprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations in a sample of 884 Jerusalem res idents aged 28-32. The allele frequency (0.435 +/- 0.017(S.E.)) is similar to that reported elsewhere. There was a strong (apparently codominant) asso ciation of the Taq1 B allele with plasma CETP in both sexes, and an inverse association with HDLC and apo A-1, significant in women and undiminished u pon adjustment for plasma CETP. There was evidence in this population for a n admixture of two plasma CETP distributions, with 9% belonging to a distri bution with the higher mean, pointing to a possible major gene effect. Mean plasma CETP was higher in women than men. plasma CETP was inversely associ ated with HDL-C in men but not in women (P < 0.05 for the sex difference, m ultivariate analysis), inversely related to the HDL-C/apo A-1 ratio in men and positively related in women (P < 0.005 for the sex difference), and was positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprot ein cholesterol in both sexes, and with the TC/HDL-C ratio and apo B in men alone. The sex differences may reflect dissimilarities in the regulatory f unction of CETP in lipid exchange. The absence of an unusual allele frequen cy of the Taq1B CETP polymorphism and its relatively modest association wit h HDL-C argue against an important role for this or strongly linked sites i n determining the low population levels of HDL-C in Israel. (C) 2000 Elsevi er Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.