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Effects of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype and cholesterol‐lowering by plant stanol esters in children: The STRIP study
Author(s) -
Tammi A,
Rönnemaa T,
Miettinen TA,
Gylling H,
RaskNissilä L,
Viikari J,
Tuominen J,
Marniemi J,
Simell O
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2002.tb00121.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cholesterol , apolipoprotein b , placebo , apolipoprotein e , lipoprotein , endocrinology , sterol , ldl cholesterol , alternative medicine , disease , pathology
Aim : To evaluate the effects of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype and cholesterol absorption and synthesis (estimated as serum plant sterol and cholesterol precursor sterol concentrations) on the cholesterol‐lowering effect of plant stanol esters in children. Methods : Eighty‐one healthy, normocholesterolaemic 6‐y‐old children (45 boys) were recruited from the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP), a randomized prospective trial aiming at atherosclerosis prevention in childhood. This placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, cross‐over study comprised two 3‐mo study periods and a 6‐wk wash‐out period. During the study periods, 20 g of the children's daily dietary fat intake was replaced with plant stanol ester margarine or control margarine. Results : In boys, plant stanol esters reduced serum total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations by 6% (0.09 to 0.42mmol/L) and 9% (0.09 to 0.36mmol/L), respectively ( p > 0.01 for both). In girls, the decreases in concentrations were 4% (0.03 to 0.38 mmol/L) and 6% (0.02 to 0.32 mmol/1) ( p > 0.05 for both). The response rate did not differ between the genders. Serum total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased by 6% and 8% ( p > 0.01 for both), respectively, in both children with the apolipoprotein E 3/4 or 4/4 (apoE4+) phenotype and the apolipoprotein E 2/3 or 3/3 (apoE4—) phenotype. Cholesterol absorption decreased both in the apoE4+ children and in the apoE4— children, but cholesterol synthesis consistently increased in the apoE4+ children only. Conclusion : Plant stanol esters reduce serum cholesterol concentration in healthy children irrespective of their gender or apoE4 phenotype.