[Association between variants of lipoprotein lipase and coronary heart disease in a Tunisian population]. / Association entre des variations de la lipoprotéine lipase et la maladie coronarienne dans une population tunisienne.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex multifactorial disease due to the interaction of multiple genes variations and environmental factors. Genetic variants of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), a key enzyme in the hydrolysis of triglyceride rich particles, may contribute to CAD. We analysed here the frequency of LPL variants (p.Asp9Asn, p.Asn291Ser and p.Ser447X) in a Tunisian population as well as their association with circulating lipid level and risk of CAD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: LPL variations were investigated by PCR-RFLP and lipid parameters were measured in 135 patients and 109 controls. RESULTS: The frequency of the p.Asp9Asn variation was 10.37% in CAD patients versus 3.66% in controls. The frequency for the p.Ser447X variation was 8.8% in CAD patients versus 13.7% in controls. There was no significant association between these two variants and CAD. The p.Asn291Ser mutation variation was absent in this population. In healthy subjects, heterozygote carriers of the p.Asp9Asn substitution had a significant increase level of total cholesterol (4.2±0.9mmol/L vs 5.6±1.2mmol/L; P=0.01) and a decreased level of HDL-cholesterol (1.36±0.3mmol/L vs 0.93±0.1mmol/L; P=0.045). CONCLUSION: There was no significant association between genetic variants of the LPL gene and CAD in this Tunisian population. The very low frequency of the p.Asn291Ser variation may be an ethnic specificity of Tunisians.