Certain forms of a gene called MTP cause higher cholesterol levels in African-American men, US researchers report.
Testing for the gene could identify individuals who need early intervention to prevent the health risks caused by high cholesterol, such as heart attack and stroke.
The MTP gene codes for MTP, or microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, which is involved in adding fat to certain molecules in cells. Minor variations in one site on the gene result in the existence of three common forms of the gene--GG, GT, and TT--in humans.
The GT combination has been associated with increased cholesterol levels in middle-aged men, prompting Dr. Suh-Hang Hank Juo from the National Human Genome Research Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and associates to investigate MTP forms in African-American men, who tend to have higher rates of heart disease than white men.
"This is the first study to investigate...over 10 years of the genetic effect of the MTP (forms) on lipid profiles in young African-American men," the authors note. Their report is published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Out of 579 individuals tested, most had the GG or GT form of MTP. Thirty-nine men (or about 7%) carried the TT form of MTP, the team reports.
Contrary to previous research in white men, abnormal levels of cholesterol were most closely associated with the TT form of the gene, the investigators note.
African-American men with the TT gene had consistently higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and apoB--all risk factors for atherosclerosis and heart disease, the report indicates. TT gene carriers also had consistently higher levels of triglycerides.
These results suggest that the TT form of MTP could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in these men and could be helpful in working out the genetics of heart disease, the authors conclude.
"Understanding the role of the TT gene variation could help researchers better understand what causes elevated cholesterol in the general population and may help in dealing with its potential consequences," Juo said in a news release.
"We could target individuals carrying this gene," he added, "so they could get an early start on prevention. A person with the 'bad' form could try to lower the risk by exercising, eating a low fat diet, not smoking, and taking medication to lower cholesterol."
Testing for the gene could identify individuals who need early intervention to prevent the health risks caused by high cholesterol, such as heart attack and stroke.
The MTP gene codes for MTP, or microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, which is involved in adding fat to certain molecules in cells. Minor variations in one site on the gene result in the existence of three common forms of the gene--GG, GT, and TT--in humans.
The GT combination has been associated with increased cholesterol levels in middle-aged men, prompting Dr. Suh-Hang Hank Juo from the National Human Genome Research Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and associates to investigate MTP forms in African-American men, who tend to have higher rates of heart disease than white men.
"This is the first study to investigate...over 10 years of the genetic effect of the MTP (forms) on lipid profiles in young African-American men," the authors note. Their report is published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Out of 579 individuals tested, most had the GG or GT form of MTP. Thirty-nine men (or about 7%) carried the TT form of MTP, the team reports.
Contrary to previous research in white men, abnormal levels of cholesterol were most closely associated with the TT form of the gene, the investigators note.
African-American men with the TT gene had consistently higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and apoB--all risk factors for atherosclerosis and heart disease, the report indicates. TT gene carriers also had consistently higher levels of triglycerides.
These results suggest that the TT form of MTP could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in these men and could be helpful in working out the genetics of heart disease, the authors conclude.
"Understanding the role of the TT gene variation could help researchers better understand what causes elevated cholesterol in the general population and may help in dealing with its potential consequences," Juo said in a news release.
"We could target individuals carrying this gene," he added, "so they could get an early start on prevention. A person with the 'bad' form could try to lower the risk by exercising, eating a low fat diet, not smoking, and taking medication to lower cholesterol."
Sources
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
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