Diabetes, Vol 45, Issue 10 1405-1411, Copyright © 1996 by American Diabetes Association
The apoB-100 gene EcoRI polymorphism influences the relationship between features of the insulin resistance syndrome and the hyper-apoB and dense LDL phenotype in men
MC Vohl, A Tchernof, FT Dionne, S Moorjani, D Prud'homme, C Bouchard, A Nadeau, PJ Lupien and JP Despres
Lipid Research Center, CHUL Research Center, Quebec, Canada.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether the EcoRI polymorphism of
the apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene influences the relationships between
features of the insulin resistance syndrome and the dense LDL phenotype and
apoB concentrations. A sample of 65 men was divided into two groups on the
basis of the EcoRI genotype. Forty-four subjects were (+/+) homozygotes for
the presence of the EcoRI restriction site that is associated with a
glutamic acid at codon 4154. Twenty-one men were (+/-) heterozygotes for
the absence of the restriction site resulting from a glutamic acid to a
lysine substitution at codon 4154. In the (+/-) group, fasting plasma FFA
levels were positively correlated with plasma apoB, LDL-apoB, and the LDL
particle score that was calculated from the migration distances of LDL
subspecies and their relative band intensities, reflecting the proportion
of small dense LDL particles. However, these associations were not found
among (+/+) subjects. The two genotypic groups were further divided into
two subgroups on the basis of fasting FFA concentrations, and the LDL
particle score and the LDL-apoB levels were compared. High FFA levels were
associated with a higher proportion of small dense LDL particles, as
reflected by a higher mean LDL particle score, irrespective of the
genotype. However, the apoB-EcoRI polymorphism appeared to influence the
association between high FFA levels and LDL-apoB concentrations because
(+/-) heterozygotes with high FFA levels had higher LDL-apoB concentrations
than (+/-) heterozygotes with low FFA levels. In addition, the integrated
area under the curve of plasma insulin concentrations, measured in response
to a 75-g oral glucose challenge, and the amount of visceral adipose
tissue, measured by computed tomography, were positively associated with
the LDL particle score only in (+/-) heterozygotes. When subjects were
divided on the basis of insulin area (low vs. high) or visceral adipose
tissue (low vs. high), (+/-) heterozygotes with high insulin area or with
high levels of visceral adipose tissue had a higher mean LDL particle score
than (+/-) heterozygotes with low insulin area or low visceral adipose
tissue. However, among (+/+) homozygotes, low or high levels of insulin or
visceral adipose tissue could not discriminate between men with large or
small LDL particles. Therefore, (+/-) heterozygotes may be more susceptible
to develop the dense LDL phenotype in presence of hyperinsulinemia and
visceral obesity. Results of the present study suggest that the apoB-EcoRI
polymorphism may exacerbate the alterations in the LDL particle (size and
concentration) found among visceral obese-hyperinsulinemic men.