Polymorphisms in the lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase genes and plasma lipid values in the Czech population

We have determined the genotypes of two common polymorphisms in the lipopro tein lipase (S447X) and hepatic lipase (-480C/T) genes in a cohort of 285 r epresentative selected Czech probands (131 male and 154 female), examined i n 1988 and reinvestigated in 1996. The genotype distributions of both polym orphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and did not differ between male and female subjects. The rare allele frequency of the lipoprotein lipase p olymorphism did not differ significantly from the other European population s. Compared to the German populations, the frequency of the hepatic lipase -480T allele was significantly higher in the Czech group (20% vs. 36%, p<0. 0001). There were no significant associations between the lipoprotein lipas e gene variants and lipid parameters measured either in 1988, or in 1996 or with changes of lipid parameters over the 8-year period. The carriers of t he T-480 allele of the hepatic lipase polymorphism were found to have highe r HDL cholesterol levels (p=0.02). However, this difference was confined to female subjects only. The male carriers of the -480T allele had higher con centrations of total cholesterol (p=0.03) as compared to CC-480 subjects. B oth associations were observed in 1996 only. In the Slavic Czech population , a common polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (-480C/T), but not in th e lipoprotein lipase gene (S447X), is a significant determinant of plasma H DL cholesterol in females and plasma total cholesterol in males and indicat es the importance of gender-associated effects in the genetic determination s of plasma lipids.