Apolipoprotein E-ε2 and Resistance to Atherosclerosis in Midlife: The PESA Observational Study

BACKGROUND: APOE is a known genetic contributor to cardiovascular disease, but the differential role APOE alleles play in subclinical atherosclerosis remains unclear. METHODS: The PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) is an observational cohort study that recruited 4184 middle-aged asymptomatic individuals to be screened for cardiovascular risk and multiterritorial subclinical atherosclerosis. Participants were APOE-genotyped, and omics data were additionally evaluated. RESULTS: In the PESA study, the frequencies for APOE -epsilon 2, -epsilon 3, and -epsilon 4 alleles were 0.060, 0.844, and 0.096, respectively. This study included a subcohort of 3887 participants (45.8 +/- 4.3 years of age; 62% males). As expected, APOE-epsilon 4 carriers were at the highest risk for cardiovascular disease and had significantly greater odds of having subclinical atherosclerosis compared with epsilon 3/epsilon 3 carriers, which was mainly explained by their higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. In turn, APOE-epsilon 2 carriers were at the lowest risk for cardiovascular disease and had significantly lower odds of having subclinical atherosclerosis in several vascular territories (carotids: 0.62 [95% CI, 0.47-0.81]; P=0.00043; femorals: 0.60 [0.47-0.78]; P=9.96x10(-5); coronaries: 0.53 [0.39-0.74]; P=0.00013; and increased PESA score: 0.58 [0.48-0.71]; P=3.16x10(-8)). This APOE-epsilon 2 atheroprotective effect was mostly independent of the associated lower LDL-cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors. The protection conferred by the epsilon 2 allele was greater with age (50-54 years: 0.49 [95% CI, 0.32-0.73]; P=0.00045), and normal (<150 mg/dL) levels of triglycerides (0.54 [0.44-0.66]; P=4.70x10(-9) versus 0.90 [0.57-1.43]; P=0.67 if >= 150 mg/dL). Omics analysis revealed an enrichment of several canonical pathways associated with anti-inflammatory mechanisms together with the modulation of erythrocyte homeostasis, coagulation, and complement activation in epsilon 2 carriers that might play a relevant role in the epsilon 2's atheroprotective effect. CONCLUSIONS: This work sheds light on the role of APOE in cardiovascular disease development with important therapeutic and prevention implications on cardiovascular health, especially in early midlife.