The effect of age, body mass index, and fasting triglyceride level on postprandial lipemia is dependent on apolipoprotein E polymorphism in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects the respective influence of apolipoprotein (apo) E polymorphism, age, gender, weight, fasting triglyceride (TG) status, and glycemic status on postprandial lipemia. Apo E genotyping was performed in consecutive NIDDM hospitalized patients in order to recruite size-adjusted groups of each apo E genotype. In 57 NIDDM including 22 E3/3 (E3), 18 E2/3 (E2), and 17 E4/3 (E4) subjects, an 8-hour vitamin A-fat loading test was performed and TG and retinyl palmitate (RP) measured. Fasting TG level correlated with the TG area under the incremental curve (AUIC) (r = 0.512, P <.001) but not with RP AUIC. Despite not different fasting and postprandial TG concentrations, E2 and E4 carriers exhibited a 2- to 3-fold higher RP AUIC than E3 carriers (P =.01). Multivariate analysis indicated an age x apo E interaction on postprandial TG (P <.01), since the unfavorable effect of E2 and E4 allele on TG AUIC was unmasked by aging. In addition, a fasting TG x apo E interaction on postprandial TG was shown (P <.01), and the correlation between fasting TG and TG AUIC was actually restricted to E2 or E4 carriers. Finally, the negative correlation between BMI and postprandial TG observed in the experimental group was actually restricted to E4 carriers (r = -0.77, P <.001). Our results indicate interactions between apo E polymorphism and aging, fasting TG level and BMI that may be important for analyzing postprandial TG clearance in NIDDM.