Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the Apo B gene in relation to coronary heart disease in a southern Asian population.

We have examined DNA polymorphisms associated with the apolipoprotein B gene in 95 Sri Lankan males with ischaemic heart disease and 95 matched controls. For polymorphisms detected using the XbaI or MspI enzymes the allele frequency in Sri Lankans contrasted markedly from that in Caucasians. Overall, there was no significant association of any allele studied with coronary disease cases in this sample. There was, however, a significant difference observed between the XbaI allele frequency in normotriglyceridaemic or normocholesterolaemic CHD cases compared with the allele frequency in the controls.