Premium
Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in indigenous Australians: allelic frequencies and relationship with dyslipidaemia
Author(s) -
Shaw Joanne TE,
Tate Jill,
Kasting Janine B,
Marczak Maureen,
Berkholz Janet R,
Lovelock Paul K,
Purdie David,
Hickman Peter,
Cameron Donald P
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1999.tb127712.x
Subject(s) - apolipoprotein e , body mass index , allele , genotype , medicine , indigenous , cholesterol , allele frequency , demography , triglyceride , apolipoprotein b , gerontology , endocrinology , disease , biology , genetics , ecology , gene , sociology
Objectives To determine the apolipoprotein E (apoE) allelic frequencies and the effect of apoE genotype on lipid concentrations in indigenous Australian subjects. Design Cross‐sectional study. Subjects and setting 155 indigenous Australians (92 women and 63 men) of mean (±standard deviation) age 45 ±17 years (SD ±50) were recruited without regard to history of atherosclerotic disease, in collaboration with community‐based health centres in five indigenous communities in south‐east Queensland. For comparison, 113 subjects of European descent and similar age distribution from the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions were also studied. Main outcome measures ApoE allelic frequency; apoE genotype; sex; age; diabetes status; body mass index; history of atherosclerotic vascular disease; and concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL‐cholesterol and LDL‐cholesterol. Results The frequency of the apoE4 allele was found to be significantly higher in the indigenous subjects than in the subjects of European descent (P<0.001). Among indigenous subjects, those with the apoE4 allele tended to have higher triglyceride concentrations and had significantly lower HDL‐cholesterol concentrations than those with the apoE3/3 and 3/2 genotypes. Conclusions ApoE allelic frequency is likely to be one of the cluster of factors contributing to the high cardiovascular mortality of indigenous Australians