Hu Peng, Qin Yuan Han, Lei Feng Ying, Pei Juan, Hu Bo, Lu Ling
Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China; E-Mails:
Int J Mol Sci. 2011;12(9):5604-15. doi: 10.3390/ijms12095604. Epub 2011 Aug 31.
Guangxi Zhuang, the largest ethnic minority in China, is located in the southern part of the country, and well-known to the world as the longevity village. Studies of apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism in adults suggest the lower frequencies of E4 allele and E4/E4 genotype may account, in part, for the favorable lipid profiles of Guangxi Zhuang. However, the effect of APOE polymorphism on serum lipids in the Guangxi Zhuang children is yet unknown to date. In the present study, genomic DNA was extracted from 278 Guangxi Zhuang and 200 Guangxi Han children. APOE genotypes were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The fasting serum lipoprotein a [Lp(a)], total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) and apoB were measured. Our results demonstrated that no significant differences in serum lipids were observed between the Guangxi Zhuang and Han children. The E4/E4 and E4/E3 genotypic frequencies were significantly lower in the Guangxi Zhuang children compared with the Guangxi Han children, whereas for E2/E2, E3/E2 and E4/E2 genotypic frequencies the opposite was presented. Though no significant differences in serum lipid concentrations were found for variant alleles both in the Guangxi Zhuang and Han children, the trend was observed in the association of higher levels of Lp(a), TC, TG and LDL-C with E4 allele in the Guangxi Zhuang children. In conclusion, a significant heterogeneity in APOE genetic variation indeed exists between the Guangxi Zhuang and Han ethnic group. The E4 allele may serve as a genetic marker for susceptibility to higher lipid profiles in the Guangxi Zhuang children. Lifestyle should be modified, according to APOE polymorphism even in the young children.
广西壮族是中国最大的少数民族，位于中国南部，作为长寿之乡闻名于世。对成年人载脂蛋白E（APOE）多态性的研究表明，E4等位基因和E4/E4基因型的低频率可能部分解释了广西壮族良好的血脂状况。然而，迄今为止，APOE多态性对广西壮族儿童血脂的影响尚不清楚。在本研究中，从278名广西壮族儿童和200名广西汉族儿童中提取基因组DNA。通过聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性（RFLP）分析确定APOE基因型。测量空腹血清脂蛋白a [Lp(a)]、总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）、载脂蛋白A1（apoA1）和apoB。我们的结果表明，广西壮族儿童和汉族儿童的血脂没有显著差异。与广西汉族儿童相比，广西壮族儿童中E4/E4和E4/E3基因型频率显著较低，而E2/E2、E3/E2和E4/E2基因型频率则相反。虽然在广西壮族儿童和汉族儿童中，变异等位基因的血脂浓度均未发现显著差异，但在广西壮族儿童中观察到Lp(a)、TC、TG和LDL-C水平较高与E4等位基因相关的趋势。总之，广西壮族和汉族之间APOE基因变异确实存在显著异质性。E4等位基因可能是广西壮族儿童血脂升高易感性的遗传标记。即使在幼儿中，也应根据APOE多态性调整生活方式。
