Genetics
CETP genotype, like four other candidate genes, fails to predict cholesterol response to plant stanol esters (Eur J Clin Invest 2002)
Original title: Relationship of genetic variation in genes encoding apolipoprotein A-IV, scavenger receptor BI, HMG-CoA reductase, CETP and apolipoprotein E with cholesterol metabolism and the response to plant stanol ester consumption
In 112 nonhypercholesterolemic subjects, 70 of whom consumed 3.8-4.0 g/day plant stanol esters for eight weeks, apoA-IV, SR-BI, CETP, HMG-CoA reductase, and apoE genotypes were tested for baseline lipid associations and gene-diet interactions. At baseline, SR-BI-2 allele carriers tended toward lower HDL-cholesterol (P=0.069) and had significantly lower cholesterol-standardized lathosterol (P=0.002), while apoE2 subjects had significantly lower LDL-cholesterol than apoE3 (P=0.002) and apoE4 (P<0.001) subjects. However, none of the five polymorphisms, including CETP, showed a significant relationship with dietary responsiveness to plant stanol esters, indicating that all subjects benefit from stanol ester consumption regardless of apoA-IV, SR-BI, HMG-CoA reductase, CETP, or apoE genotype.
Original abstract
Background: Differences in genetic constitution may affect cholesterol metabolism and responses to diet. Identification of common variations in genes related to dietary responsiveness is therefore an attractive goal to be able to prescribe individually tailored diets for the treatment of dyslipidaemia.
Materials And Methods: We have examined relationships between serum lipids and lipoproteins, cholesterol-standardized campesterol and lathosterol concentrations with genetic variation, and the presence of a gene-diet interaction between plant stanol ester consumption. Candidate genes were apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV), scavenger receptor-BI (SR-BI), cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and apolipoprotein E (apoE). These relations were examined in 112 nonhypercholesterolaemic subjects, of whom 70 consumed 3.8-4.0 g plant stanol esters a day for 8 weeks.
Results: At baseline, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations of 1.56 +/- 0.36 mmol L(-1) in SR-BI-2 allele carriers tended to be lower compared to the 1.72 +/- 0.42 mmol L(-1) in SR-BI-1/1 subjects (P = 0.069). Cholesterol standardized lathosterol concentrations were also lower in the SR-BI-2 allele carriers (P = 0.002). Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations in apoE2 subjects, were lower compared to the LDL cholesterol concentration in apoE3 group (P = 0.002) and apoE4 subjects (P < 0.001). No significant differences between the polymorphisms and dietary responsiveness to plant stanol ester consumption could be found, which indicates that it is unlikely that one of the single polymorphisms analysed in this study is a major factor in explaining the variation in serum LDL cholesterol responses.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that all subjects who want to lower their cholesterol concentration, will benefit from plant stanol ester consumption, irrespective of their apoA-IV, SR-BI, HMG-CoA reductase, CETP, or apoE genotype.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.