The interaction of cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene variations and diet on changes in serum lipid profiles.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Gene-diet interactions may have an important role in the disparities between the lipid responses of individuals to diet. This study aimed to investigate whether polymorphisms (rs5882 and rs3764261) in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene modify the association of diet with changes in serum lipid profiles.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 4700 individuals aged ≥18 years were selected from among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. After 3.6 years of follow-up, changes in serum lipid profiles were evaluated. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. DNA samples were genotyped with HumanOmniExpress-24-v1-0 bead chips (containing 649,932 SNP loci).

RESULTS

No significant interaction was found between CETP polymorphisms and dietary patterns in changing lipid profiles. Mean changes of total cholesterol (TC) decreased in higher quartiles of fish intake in A allele carriers (Q1:8.02, Q4:5.58, P = 0.01) compared to the CC genotype (Q1:3.65, Q4:8.93, P = 0.11) (P = 0.02). There are ascending trends of changes in triglyceride (TG) concentrations across quartiles of total fat, monounsaturated and saturated fat consumption in G allele carriers of rs5882 compared to the AA genotype. There was a declining trend for mean changes in TG concentrations across quartiles of carbohydrate intake in G allele carriers of rs5882 compared to the AA genotype (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that minor allele carriers of rs5882 had a better TG value than AA homozygote individuals when consuming a low fat and high carbohydrate diet. Fish intake modifies the association of rs3764261with TC concentrations.