Effect of postprandial lipaemia and Taq 1B polymorphism of the cholesterylester transfer protein (CETP) gene on CETP mass, activity, associated lipoproteins and plasma lipids

A large number of studies in recent years have investigated the effects of hyperlipidaemias and diabetes on cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on neutral lipid transfer activity and plasma lipids. There has been an ong oing debate as to whether CETP is pro- or anti-atherogenic as it provides a mechanism for the transfer of cholesterol from the cardioprotective HDL su bfraction to the potentially atherogenic LDL subfraction. This study was de signed to investigate whether there was significant variability of CETP mas s and activity in a large normolipidaemic population and whether there is a n association between CETP and plasma lipoprotein composition. The presence of a known polymorphism of CETP gene (Taq 1B) was investigated to see if t here was any association between this polymorphism and CETP mass and activi ty, and plasma lipids. There was significant (P < 0.0001) increase in CETP mass and activity in plasma postprandially at 6 h. Using multiple stepwise regression analysis there was significant association with fasting CETP mas s and activity (beta = 0.055; P = 0.002) and triacylglycerol-rich lipoprote in (beta = 0.013; P = 0.005) and postprandial CETP mass (beta = 0.254; P = 0.007). Repeated-measures analysis showed a strong association between the absence of Taq 1B polymorphism and low CETP mass and elevated HDL- and HDL2 -cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid concentrations than did those who were ho mozygous or heterozygous for the presence of the restriction site.