Plasma triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol concentrations in Vietnamese girls are affected by lipoprotein lipase, but not apolipoprotein CIII polymorphism.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII) play an important role in HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. This study examined the effects of LPL S447X and apoCIII SstI polymorphisms on the plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in Vietnamese girls. Three hundred and fifty-one Vietnamese girls, from 7 to 9 y of age, were randomly selected from the urban and rural areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The presence of LPL S447X and apoCIII polymorphism was determined using the Invader assay, and the plasma lipid concentrations were measured by an enzymatic method. Dietary intakes and anthropometrics were assessed for each child. The frequencies of LPL 447X (11.9%) and apoCIII S2 (32.6%) polymorphisms in the Vietnamese were similar to those of other Asian populations. The frequency of LPL 447X was the same as that in Caucasians but the frequency of apoCIII S2 was approximately 3.8 times that in Caucasians. Overall, LPL 447X polymorphism was associated with a higher HDL-cholesterol concentration (7.4%, P = 0.007) and a lower triglyceride concentration (-13.6%, P = 0.04) than LPL 447S. The apoCIII S2 polymorphism was not associated with an increase in the plasma triglyceride concentration in Vietnamese girls with a low fat intake. However, due to the high frequency of the apoCIII SstI polymorphism and the increasingly westernized diet in Vietnam, attention should be paid to the interaction of genotype with the Vietnamese diet.

Effect of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein genotypes on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in Vietnamese children.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is understood to play a regulatory role in HDL cholesterol (HDLC) metabolism. In this study, the effect of CETP genotypes on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in 348 Vietnamese girls (aged 7-9) with different nutritional conditions was analyzed. The two mutations, intron 14 G(+1)-to-A (I14A) and Asp 442 to Gly within exon 15 (D442G), and the TaqIB polymorphism in the CETP gene were identified by an Invader assay. The D442G mutation was present with a frequency of 0.034, while the I14A mutation was absent. HDLC levels were significantly higher in carriers of the D442G mutation than in noncarriers, regardless of the nutritional status. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels were not significantly lower in carriers of D442G mutation. The frequency of the TaqIB2 allele was 0.34, which was lower than that observed in other Asian populations. TaqIB2B2 carriers also had significantly higher HDLC levels, but this association was weaker than that of the D442G mutation. Overall, genetic variations at the CETP gene locus may account for a significant proportion of HDLC variation in Vietnamese children.

Iron absorption in rats increased by yeast glucan.

The effects of brewer's yeast cell walls and two of its components, glucan and mannan, on the absorption of 59Fe by anemic rats were investigated. After administration of the label, the percentage of 59Fe taken up into the blood of group given glucan was generally similar to that of a group given yeast cell walls, both values were higher than in controls. The incorporation of 59Fe into the small intestines was higher in the group given glucan than in the controls or a group given a glucan-mannan mixture. Glucan is the main substance in yeast cell walls that increases iron absorption.