Genetics
CETP TaqIB and apoE genotypes interact to shape cholesterol levels in 7-year-old children (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2002)
Original title: Interaction between a common variant of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene and the apolipoprotein E polymorphism: effects on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in a cohort of 7-year-old children
In 257 Dutch prepubescent children aged 6.7-8.1 years, apoE and CETP TaqIB genotype interactions on plasma lipids were tested. Children with the apoE2E3 genotype had lower LDL-cholesterol and apoB than apoE4E3 or apoE3E3 children, an association significant in those homozygous (P=0.004 for LDL, P=0.002 for apoB) or heterozygous (P<0.0001 for both) for absence of the CETP TaqIB B2 allele, but not in CETP B1B1 homozygotes. The highest HDL-cholesterol occurred in CETP B2B2 children, with the CETP genotype difference in HDL-C reaching significance only among apoE2E3 carriers (P=0.01), and the LDL/HDL ratio was significantly lower in apoE2E3 carriers except when combined with CETP B1B1. The apoE and CETP genotypes thus have additive and interactive effects on children's lipid profile.
Original abstract
Background And Aim: Common variations in genes, such as apolipoprotein E (apo E) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), are major determinants of plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. As both apo E and CETP contribute to the reverse transport of cholesterol to the liver, the effects of variations at the CETP locus may very well interact with the apo E genotype.
Methods And Results: As part of an ongoing study, the combined effects of the apo E genotype and heterogeneity at the CETP gene locus on plasma lipids and lipoproteins were studied in a birth cohort sample of 257 Dutch prepubescent boys and girls (aged 6.7-8.1 years). The children with an apo E2E3 genotype (carrying the epsilon 2 allele; arg158-->cys) had lower concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (apo B) than those with an apo E4E3 (carrying the epsilon 4 allele; cys112-->arg) or apo E3E3 genotype (homozygous for the parent epsilon 3 allele). These associations were statistically significant in children who were homozygous (p = 0.004 for LDL; p = 0.002 for apo B) or heterozygous (p < 0.0001 for LDL and apo B) for the absence of the Taq-IB polymorphism at the CETP gene locus (B2 allele), but not in those homozygous for the presence of this variant (B1B1). The highest plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations were observed in children with the CETP B2B2 genotype. The difference in HDL-C levels between the CETP genotype groups was statistically significant only in E2E3 carriers (p = 0.01). The LDL/HDL ratio was significantly lower in E2E3 carriers, but not when combined with a CETP B1B1 genotype.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that the apo E genotype and heterogeneity at the CETP gene locus have an additive and interactive influence on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in children.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.