Pre-beta 1-lipoprotein in patients with ischemic heart disease. Genetic determination and relation to early insulin response.

The genetic determination of pre-beta 1-lipoprotein and its relation to insulin response was studied in 18 male monozygotic and 13 male dizygotic twin pairs, aged 51-74. They had been selected from the Swedish Twin Registry by means of an angina pectoris questionnaire. Results revealed a heritability index for the pre-beta 1-lipoprotein, determined quantitatively, to be as high as 0.94. The subjects in whom pre-beta 1-lipoprotein was present exhibited a significantly delayed early insulin response compared to subjects without this lipoprotein fraction. Our data seem to justify the use of pre-beta 1-lipoprotein as a genetic marker. Data also indicate that important metabolic differences may exist between pre-beta 1+ and pre-beta 1- individuals, and it is possible that such differences may explain in part an increased susceptibility to ischemic heart disease for those possessing the pre-beta 1 fraction.