LDL and apoB
CETP activity correlates with LDL-cholesterol but not HDL-cholesterol in 586 healthy Japanese adults (Atherosclerosis 1996)
Original title: CETP is a determinant of serum LDL-cholesterol but not HDL-cholesterol in healthy Japanese
Plasma CETP activity was measured in 586 healthy Japanese volunteers (317 men, 269 women) to identify factors regulating CETP and its relationship to lipoprotein levels. Mean CETP activity was 192.96 nmol/ml/h, ranging from 60 to 450 nmol/ml/h, and multiple regression analysis found significant positive correlations with LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.03), apolipoprotein E (P < 0.005), and LCAT activity (P < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation with apo A-I (P < 0.03), but no significant correlation with HDL-cholesterol or apo B. Alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking significantly reduced CETP activity, with no association found with body mass index, and CETP activity was significantly higher in women than men (P < 0.001) though unrelated to age in either sex. The authors conclude that CETP activity regulates apo A-I and LDL-cholesterol concentrations and is influenced by gender, alcohol consumption, and smoking.
Original abstract
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is one of the factors that regulate plasma levels of HDL-cholesterol. To identify the factors that may regulate CETP activity, and to determine to what extent CETP is correlated with physiologic concentrations of lipoprotein, we performed an epidemiologic study in 586 healthy volunteers (317 males and 269 females mean age 52.2 +/- 10.9 years). CETP activity in these subjects was 192.96 +/- 48.73 (mean +/- S.D.) nmol/ml/h and distributed to a wide range (60-450 nmol/ml/h). Using multiple regression analysis, we found significant positive correlations between CETP activity and LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.03), apolipoprotein (apo) E (P < 0.005) and LCAT activity (P < 0.001). CETP activities showed significant negative correlation with apo A-I (P < 0.03). However, CETP activity showed no significant correlation either with HDL cholesterol or with apo B. One-way layout analysis of variance showed that alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking significantly reduced CETP activity, but there was no significant association between CETP activity and body mass index. Although CETP activities were significantly higher in females than in males (P < 0.001), multiple regression analysis showed no correlation between CETP activity and age in either the males or the females. Our results suggest that CETP activity regulates the concentration of apo A-I and LDL-cholesterol, and that such activity may be influenced by gender, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking.
epidemiologyHDL biologyLDL and apoB
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.