The relationship between apolipoprotein AI-containing lipoprotein fractions and environmental factors: the prospective epidemiological study of myocardial infarction (PRIME study)

Apolipoprotein (apo) AI is distributed within high-density lipoproteins (HD L) between different types of particles, one containing both apoAI and apoA II (LpAI:AII), the other containing no apoAII (LpAI). We investigated the a ssociations between LpAI and LpAI:AII with several factors such as body mas s index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), alcohol intake, cigarette consumpt ion and physical activity, in three French and one Northern Irish male popu lations included in a prospective study (PRIME study). LpAI and LpAI:AII we re associated with variations in all environmental factors, except LpAI:AII , which was not associated with WHR. These relationships were unchanged aft er adjustment for other environmental factors, bur slightly modified after adjustment for triglyceride levels. LpAI decreased when BMI, WHR and cigare tte smoking increased, and increased with alcohol consumption and physical activity. LpAI:AII had a similar variation except for the absence of LpAI:A II modification associated with WHR variation. The associations between LpA I and BMI, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were largely dependent on HDL-cholesterol as indicated by the lack of any significance when the a djustment for HDL-cholesterol was made. Conversely, after adjustment for HD L-cholesterol, the significant association between LpAI:AII and BMI disappe ared, while the associations between LpAI:AII and alcohol consumption, ciga rette smoking and physical activity remained significant. These results sug gest that the mechanisms of LpAI and LpAI:AII modulations differ according to each environmental factor, some dependent on the lipid content of lipopr oteins and others not, but LpAI and LpAI:AII levels seem independent of tri glyceride concentration. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.