Apolipoprotein A-I/C-III/A-IV SstI and apolipoprotein B XbaI polymorphisms and their association with carotid artery intima-media thickness in the Finnish population

Apolipoprotein A-I/C-III/A-IV (apoA-I/C-III/A-IV) SstI and apolipoprotein B (apoB) XbaI polymorphisms have been shown to affect serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations in a sample of Finnish children. We studied whether these polymorphism are associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), a marker of pre-clinical atherosclerosis, measured in the same subjects during their adulthood. A random sub-sample of 214 individuals from the 'Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns' study, for whom genotypes, cardiovascular risk factor data and carotid artery IMT measured in 2001 were available, were studied. Mean carotid IMT values increased according to the apoA-I/C-III/A-IV SstI genotype groups in the order of S1S1 (0.58 ± 0.08 mm), S1S2 (0.61 ± 0.08 mm), and S2S2 (0.70 ± 0.16 mm, p = 0.02, ANOVA). In multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting for age, sex and body mass index the mean IMT thickness among the S2 allele carriers was higher (p = 0.02) compared to non-carriers. In logistic regression analysis the frequency of S2 allele carriers was higher among the high IMT group compared to the low IMT group (OR = 4.02, CI: 1.68-9.61, p = 0.002). No significant association between apoB XbaI polymorphism and carotid IMT was found. However, serum total and LDL cholesterol and apoB concentrations were significantly different among apoB genotype groups (p < 0.001 for all traits). The apoA-I/C-III/A-IV SstI polymorphism is associated with carotid IMT in young Finns.