DNA POLYMORPHISMS OF THE APOLIPOPROTEIN-B GENE IN CHINESE CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS

Five restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of the apo B gene and their association with serum lipids and apolipoprotein levels have been studied in 139 Chinese patients with angiographically confirmed CAD (mean age 56.2 +/- 0.8 years) and 154 healthy Chinese subjects (mean age 44.0 +/- 1.0 years) of both sexes. The patient group had significantly higher levels of serum total and LDL cholesterol; and apo B (P < 0.001) and lower HDL cholesterol and apo A-I (P < 0.001 and < 0.01, respectively). The frequencies of the rarer alleles of the ins/del, XbaI and EcoRI (but not the PvuII and MspI) polymorphisms were significantly lower in the Chinese compared to those reported in Caucasians. There was no significant difference in allelic frequencies of the signal peptide region (Ins/Del), XbaI, MspI and EcoRI sites of the apo B gene between the patient and control groups. The frequency of the rarer allele of the PvuII RFLP was significantly lower in the CAD patients (P < 0.05) compared to that in the control group (0.05 vs 0.10). None of the DNA polymorphisms was associated with a significant influence on serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels in the patients with coronary artery disease.