Ijzerman Richard G, Stehouwer Coen D A, de Geus Eco J, van Weissenbruch Mirjam M, Delemarre-van de Waal Henriette A, Boomsma Dorret I
Department of Internal Medicine and Institute for Cardiovascular Research , Vrije Universiteit, BU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Pediatr Res. 2002 Dec;52(6):868-72. doi: 10.1203/00006450-200212000-00010.
Low birth weight may be associated with high levels of cholesterol in later life through genetic factors that affect both birth weight and cholesterol metabolism. Alterations in cholesterol synthesis and absorption may play an important role in this association. We examined birth weight and plasma ratios of a precursor of cholesterol, lathosterol (an estimate of cholesterol synthesis), and plant sterols, campesterol and beta-sitosterol (estimates of cholesterol absorption), to cholesterol in 53 dizygotic and 58 monozygotic adolescent twin pairs. After adjustment for current weight, birth weight was not associated with the ratios of lathosterol, campesterol, and beta-sitosterol either in the overall sample [+0.07 micro mol/mmol/kg (95% confidence interval: -0.11 to 0.25), p = 0.5; +0.02 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.33 to 0.37), p = 0.9; and -0.04 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.23 to 0.15), p = 0.8, respectively] or in the intrapair analysis in dizygotic twins [+0.27 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.28 to 0.82), p = 0.3; -0.03 micro mol/mmol/kg (-1.07 to 1.01), p = 1.0; and +0.04 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.56 to 0.64), p = 0.9, respectively] or in the intrapair analysis in monozygotic twins [+0.54 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.09 to 1.18), p = 0.09; -0.60 micro mol/mmol/kg (-1.59 to 0.39), p = 0.2; and -0.43 micro mol/mmol/kg (-0.99 to 0.14), p = 0.14, respectively]. Plasma levels of lathosterol, campesterol, and beta-sitosterol, which are indicators of cholesterol synthesis and absorption, thus do not explain the association of low birth weight with high levels of total and LDL cholesterol. As an alternative hypothesis, we suggest that a decrease in cholesterol clearance may play an important role.
低出生体重可能通过影响出生体重和胆固醇代谢的遗传因素，与日后生活中高水平的胆固醇有关。胆固醇合成和吸收的改变可能在这种关联中起重要作用。我们检测了53对异卵和58对同卵青少年双胞胎的出生体重以及胆固醇前体羊毛甾醇（胆固醇合成的一个指标）、植物甾醇（菜油甾醇和β-谷甾醇，胆固醇吸收的指标）与胆固醇的血浆比值。在对当前体重进行校正后，无论是在总体样本中[+0.07微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（95%置信区间：-0.11至0.25），p = 0.5；+0.02微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.33至0.37），p = 0.9；以及-0.04微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.23至0.15），p = 0.8]，还是在异卵双胞胎的配对分析中[+0.27微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.28至0.82），p = 0.3；-0.03微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-1.07至1.01），p = 1.0；以及+0.04微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.56至0.64），p = 0.9]，亦或是在同卵双胞胎的配对分析中[+0.54微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.09至1.18），p = 0.09；-0.60微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-1.59至0.39），p = 0.2；以及-0.43微摩尔/毫摩尔/千克（-0.99至0.14），p = 0.14]，出生体重均与羊毛甾醇、菜油甾醇和β-谷甾醇的比值无关。因此，作为胆固醇合成和吸收指标的羊毛甾醇、菜油甾醇和β-谷甾醇的血浆水平并不能解释低出生体重与总胆固醇和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇高水平之间的关联。作为另一种假设，我们认为胆固醇清除率的降低可能起重要作用。
