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Research Article| Volume 240, ISSUE 2, P311-317, June 2015

Ethnic differences in the association between lipid metabolism genes and lipid levels in black and white South African women

  • Nicole Ellman
    Affiliations
    Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

    Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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  • Dheshnie Keswell
    Affiliations
    Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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  • Malcolm Collins
    Affiliations
    Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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  • Mehreen Tootla
    Affiliations
    Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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  • Julia H. Goedecke
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author. Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
    Affiliations
    Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

    Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
    Search for articles by this author

      Highlights

      • Body composition, lipid levels and lipid metabolism gene variants were assessed in South African women.
      • Associations between lipid metabolism gene variants and lipid levels were assessed.
      • Significant associations were only observed in black women.
      • LPL X variant and CETP B2 variant were associated with a better lipid profile in black women.

      Abstract

      Objective

      Dyslipidaemia can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), however its prevalence has been shown to differ between ethnic groups in South Africa (SA). Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate ethnic differences in the association between serum lipid levels and polymorphisms within genes involved in lipid metabolism in black and white SA women.

      Methods

      In a convenient sample of 234 white and 209 black SA women of Xhosa ancestry, body composition (DXA) and fasting serum lipids were measured. Participants were genotyped for the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP, rs708272, B1/B2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL, rs328, S/X), hepatic lipase (LIPC, rs1800588, C/T) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9, rs28362286, C/X) polymorphisms.

      Results

      Compared to white women, black women had lower concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC, P < 0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, P < 0.001), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, P < 0.001) and triglycerides (TG, P < 0.001). There were significant differences in the genotype and allele frequency distributions between black and white women for the LPL S/X (P < 0.001), PCSK9 C679X (P = 0.002) and LIPC 514C/T (P < 0.001) polymorphisms. In black women only, there were genotype effects on serum lipid levels. Specifically, women with the LPL SX genotype had lower TC and LDL-C and higher HDL-C concentrations than those with the SS genotype and women with the CETP B2 allele had lower LDL-C concentrations than those with the B1B1 genotype.

      Conclusion

      Polymorphisms within the LPL and CETP genes were associated with a more protective lipid profile in black, but not white SA women. This supports the hypothesis that the more favorable lipid profile of black compared to white SA women is associated with polymorphisms in lipid metabolism genes, specifically the LPL and CETP genes.

      Keywords

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