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Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2001;21:979-984

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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2001;21:979.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.


Atherosclerosis and Lipoproteins

Determinants of Lipid Level Variability in French-Canadian Children With Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Marie Lambert; Linda Assouline; Juan Carlos Feoli-Fonseca; Nathalie Brun; Edgard E. Delvin; Emile Lévy

From the Medical Genetics Service, Department of Pediatrics (M.L., L.A., J.C.F.-F., N.B.), the Department of Clinical Biochemistry (E.E.D.), and the Department of Nutrition (E.L.), Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Abstract—The wide variability in the biochemical expression of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is only partly explained by mutational heterogeneity in the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. In the current study, we measured this biochemical variability in a group of children heterozygous for the >15-kb LDLR gene deletion (n=67) and examined the contribution of apolipoprotein (apo) E and B allelic variations to this phenotypic variability. Variances of total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, and apoB concentrations and of the ratio of TC to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were increased in FH subjects compared with controls. However, after taking the means into account, the coefficients of variation showed that the variability of LDL-C and apoB concentrations was smaller for FH than for controls and that the variability of TC and of the ratio TC to HDL-C was similar between both groups. The {varepsilon}2/3 genotype was associated with lower mean TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations in FH. The magnitude of this effect was smaller in controls than in FH. Indeed, the percentages of total variance of TC, LDL-C, and apoB attributable to the apoE locus were 19.9%, 18.1%, and 11.8%, respectively, in FH cases and 5.9%, 7.4%, and 6.0%, respectively, in controls. We did not detect any effect of the apoB insertion/deletion polymorphism on lipid traits in FH children. However, in controls, we observed a strong interaction between apoE and apoB genotypes on apoB concentrations and on TC to HDL-C ratios. Our study reemphasizes the important role of apoE in lipid metabolism and illustrates that the effects of allelic variations on lipid traits are context dependent.


Key Words: familial hypercholesterolemia • children • apoE • apoB • allelic variations


*    Introduction
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up arrowAbstract
*Introduction
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down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an autosomal dominant disorder due to a defect in the LDL receptor (LDLR) gene, is biochemically characterized by a large increase in plasma total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations. The wide variability in FH biochemical expression has been explained by mutational heterogeneity, variations in the wild-type LDLR gene allele, allelic variations at other gene loci, and environmental factors.1 2 It is therefore important to examine the range of phenotypic variability associated with a single LDLR gene mutation. Few have had this opportunity because of the lack of sufficiently large groups of patients carrying the same mutation.3 4 5 Owing to a founder effect, French Canadians from Quebec show a higher frequency of FH (1/270) compared with most Western countries (1/500). The >15-kb deletion that removes the promoter and the first exon of the gene accounts for {approx}60% of the mutant alleles found in French-Canadian FH heterozygotes.2 Our first objective was to measure the biochemical variability seen in a large group of children heterozygous for the >15-kb deletion and to compare this variability to that found in controls.

Apolipoprotein (apo) E plays a central role in the metabolism of cholesterol and triglyceride (TG). The apoE gene locus on chromosome 19 is polymorphic with 3 common alleles, {varepsilon}2, {varepsilon}3, and {varepsilon}4, encoding the 3 different protein isoforms E2, E3, and E4, respectively. The E2 and E4 variants differ from the more common E3 variant by a single amino acid substitution. These substitutions affect ligand binding of TG-rich lipoproteins to their receptors.6 In healthy adults, between 4% and 8% of the total variance in plasma LDL-C concentrations can be attributed to the common apoE polymorphism.6 7 ApoB is the major apolipoprotein of chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and lipoprotein(a) particles. The apoB gene located on chromosome 2 has numerous polymorphic sites, among which are those due to an insertion (Ins) or a deletion (Del) of 9 base pairs, which produces a difference of 3 amino acids in the signal peptide (for reviews, see Humphries and Talmud8 and Vedie et al9 ). This polymorphism may have functional importance, as in vitro expression studies have shown that the deletion variant mediates inefficient translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum relative to the insertion variant.10 Variations in plasma lipid concentrations have been found associated with this polymorphism. Therefore, our second objective was to examine the contribution of apoE and apoB allelic variations to the phenotypic variability of FH in children.


*    Methods
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*Methods
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Subjects
Subjects with heterozygous FH were selected from consecutive patients referred to the lipid clinic at Hôpital Sainte-Justine. The criteria for inclusion were (1) heterozygosity for the >15-kb LDLR gene deletion;1 (2) age 18 years or less; (3) absence of diabetes mellitus or kidney, thyroid, or hepatic disorders; (4) no intake of medications affecting lipoprotein metabolism, including oral contraceptives; and (5) no familial relationship up to the third degree or more. The subjects’ clinical and biochemical characteristics were those from their first visit at our lipid clinic. A family history of premature atherosclerosis was defined as coronary or peripheral vascular disease at or before the age of 55 years in a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle. Pubertal status was assessed according to Tanner stages, and subjects were classified as prepubertal (Tanner 1) or pubertal (Tanner 2 to 5).

Control subjects were recruited from patients undergoing minor elective surgery at Hôpital Sainte-Justine. The criteria for inclusion were (1) French-Canadian ancestry at history; (2) criteria 2, 3, and 4 as described above for FH; (3) no personal or parental history of hyperlipidemia; (4) no acute serious disease 3 months or less before the surgery; and (5) no family history of premature atherosclerosis. The study was approved by the hospital Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from the parents and/or patients.

Laboratory Analyses
After a 12-hour overnight fast, blood samples were collected on 1 mg/mL EDTA. TC and TG were determined enzymatically with a commercial kit (Boehringer Mannheim). HDL-C was measured after precipitation of VLDL and LDL with phosphotungstic acid. LDL-C was calculated by using the Friedewald equation.11 Plasma concentrations of apoA1 and B were assessed by nephelometry equipped with a commercial standard (Hoechst-Roussel).

Genomic DNA was prepared from white blood cells as described earlier.1 We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the appropriate DNA fragment followed by digestion of the amplification product with HhaI (Gibco BRL) to determine common apoE genotypes.12 The Ins/Del polymorphism was visualized directly after PCR amplification of exon 1 of the apoB gene and 8% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the PCR products.13

Statistical Analyses
Statistical analyses were performed with SAS statistical software (release 6.12, SAS Institute Inc). To ensure that both groups (FH and control) were balanced with respect to the study characteristics, Student’s t tests or {chi}2 tests were performed, depending on the nature of the characteristic under study (continuous or categorical variable). Means and variances of plasma lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations were compared between both groups by using Student’s t tests and Levene’s tests, respectively. Coefficients of variance (CVs) were compared as described in Sachs.14 All analyses comparing TG concentrations were performed with natural logarithm–transformed values; however, crude values are presented in the Tables. The effect of covariates on plasma lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations was studied by Pearson’s coefficients of correlations (continuous variables) or Student’s t tests (categorical variables).

In both groups, apoE allele frequencies were estimated by the gene counting method. Between-group allele and genotype frequency distributions were compared by a {chi}2 test. For each group (FH and control), we performed a 1-way ANOVA and Levene’s tests to compare means and variances, respectively, of plasma lipids of subgroups of subjects divided according to their apoE genotype. When required, Fisher’s least-significant-difference multiple-comparisons procedure was used to detect subgroup differences. For each lipid trait, the variance attributable to genotypic differences was computed as described by Sing and Davignon.15 A 2-way ANOVA was used to simultaneously study groups of subjects divided according to (1) their LDLR genotype (FH and control) and apoE genotype, (2) their sex and apoE genotype, and (3) their pubertal status and apoE genotype. Similar analyses were performed for the apoB Ins/Del genotype. Finally, for each group (FH and control), a 2-way ANOVA was used to simultaneously study groups of subjects divided according to their apoE and apoB genotypes.


*    Results
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*Results
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We studied a total of 67 unrelated children heterozygous for the >15-kb LDLR gene mutation and 241 controls. Table 1Down shows the characteristics of the study participants. Both groups were similar with respect to sex distribution, age, and weight. As requested by protocol, none took oral contraceptives. Family history of premature atherosclerosis was recorded in 83.6% of FH children and was absent in controls.


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Table 1. Characteristics of the Study Participants

Means, variances, and CVs of plasma lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations are presented in Table 2Down. As expected, in FH children the mean values of TC, LDL-C, apoB, and of the ratio TC to HDL-C were significantly increased compared with those in controls. The FH group had reduced mean concentrations of HDL-C and apoA1 and an elevated mean concentration of TG. Variances of TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations and of the TC to HDL-C ratio were increased in FH subjects compared with controls. However, after taking the means into account, the CV showed that the variability of LDL-C and apoB concentrations was smaller for FH subjects than for controls and that the variability of TC and of the ratio TC to HDL-C was similar between FH and controls. Variances and CVs of HDL-C, apoA1, and TG concentrations were statistically similar between both groups.


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Table 2. Plasma Lipid and Apolipoprotein Concentrations

Heterogeneity in the biochemical expression of FH could not be explained by an effect of sex (probability value for comparisons between males and females=0.6525, 0.2971, and 0.7991 for TC, LDL-C, and apoB, respectively), age (r=0.0539, 0.0453, and 0.091 for correlations with TC, LDL-C, and apoB, respectively; P>0.05 for all), and pubertal status (probability value for comparisons between prepubertal and pubertal=0.6495, 0.6412, and 0.7152 for TC, LDL-C, and apoB, respectively). ApoB concentrations of FH subjects were loosely correlated with body mass index (r=0.2730, P=0.0348); there were no statistically significant correlations between TC (r=0.2041, P=0.1003) or LDL-C (r=0.2213, P=0.0789) and body mass index. Similarly, no statistically significant effect of sex, age, or weight on the concentrations of TC, LDL-C, and apoB could be detected in controls (data not shown). TG concentrations and the TC to HDL-C ratios were correlated with body mass index in FH subjects (r=0.3599 and 0.3361, respectively; P<0.05 for both) and with weight in controls (r=0.3846 and 0.2445, respectively; P<0.05 for both; body mass index data were not available for controls). We detected a significant correlation between TG concentrations and age in controls (r=0.2707, P=0.001) but not in FH subjects (r=0.1092, P=0.3827).

We next examined the contribution of apoE allelic variations to the phenotypic variability of FH and compared these results to that found in controls. There were no significant differences in apoE allele or genotype frequency distributions between FH subjects and controls (P=0.745 and 0.425, respectively). Because of their low frequency, individuals with the genotypes {varepsilon}2/4 (FH, n=0; control, n=6) or {varepsilon}4/4 (FH, n=1; control, n=4) were excluded from subsequent analyses. For all lipid and apolipoprotein traits examined, we detected no significant interaction between sex and apoE genotype in FH and controls or between pubertal status and apoE genotype in FH (data on pubertal status were not available for controls). Therefore, sex and pubertal status were not taken into consideration in subsequent analyses.

The mean concentrations of TC, LDL-C, and apoB were the lowest in FH children with the {varepsilon}2/3 genotype (Table 3Down). These observations reached statistical significance for TC and LDL-C values (P<0.05 for comparisons between {varepsilon}2/3 and {varepsilon}3/3 subjects and between {varepsilon}2/3 and {varepsilon}3/4 subjects); after apoB concentrations had been adjusted for body mass index, they also showed significant differences. No significant differences were seen between FH individuals with the {varepsilon}3/3 and {varepsilon}3/4 genotypes. Mean concentrations of HDL-C, apoA1, and TG and the mean ratio of TC to HDL-C were similar among FH children with different apoE genotypes. This conclusion remained unchanged after adjustment for body mass index of TG concentrations and of TC to HDL-C ratios. No significant differences were detected between variances of lipids and apolipoproteins in FH subjects with different apoE genotypes.


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Table 3. Lipid and Apolipoprotein Concentrations With Respect to ApoE Genotypes

In controls, when compared with {varepsilon}3/3 and {varepsilon}3/4, the {varepsilon}3/2 genotype had a significant lowering effect on mean TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations and on the mean TC to HDL-C ratio (P<0.05 for all). Although the direction of the effect was similar in FH and controls, 2-way ANOVA (apoE and LDLR genotypes) showed a significant interaction for mean TC and LDL-C concentrations (P=0.0009 and 0.0204, respectively), suggesting different effects of apoE isoforms in each group. No significant interactions were detected for mean apoB, HDL-C, apoA1, and TG concentrations or for TC to HDL-C ratios (P=0.2585, 0.1632, 0.2425, 0.5916, and 0.7417, respectively). Mean concentrations of HDL-C, apoA1, and TG were similar among controls with different apoE genotypes. These conclusions remained unchanged after adjustment of TG and HDL-C concentrations and of TC to HDL-C ratios by age and weight. Variances of TC and LDL-C values and of TC to HDL-C ratios were significantly different between controls with different apoE genotypes, the group with the {varepsilon}3/4 genotype having the largest variance when compared with the {varepsilon}3/2 and {varepsilon}3/3 groups. Table 4Down presents the percentage of total variance of lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations attributable to the apoE locus in FH and controls.


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Table 4. Contribution of the ApoE Locus to the Total Variance of Plasma Lipid and Apolipoprotein Concentrations

Third, we examined the contribution of apoB allelic variations to the phenotypic variability of FH. Data from 74 FH children were available for this portion of the study (67 previously described and 7 newly diagnosed). There were no differences in apoB Ins/Del allele or genotype frequency distributions between FH subjects and controls (P=0.965 and 0.129, respectively). With the exception of TG concentrations, for all other lipid and apolipoprotein traits examined, we did not detect any significant interactions between sex and apoB genotype or between pubertal status and apoB genotype. Therefore, sex and pubertal status were not taken into consideration in subsequent analyses. Table 5Down shows lipid and apolipoprotein levels with respect to apoB Ins/Del genotypes. Variances of TG concentrations and of TC to HDL-C ratios were significantly different between FH groups with different apoB genotypes. We did not detect any other statistically significant influence of apoB genotypes on means or variances of all lipid and apolipoprotein variables examined in FH. No further differences were observed after adjustment of lipid and apolipoprotein values for body mass index.


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Table 5. Lipid and Apolipoprotein Concentrations With Respect to ApoB Insertion/Deletion Genotypes

Compared with the apoB Ins/Del genotype, the apoB Ins/Ins genotype had a significant lowering effect on mean LDL-C and apoB concentrations and on the mean TC to HDL-C ratio in controls. No further differences were observed after adjustment of lipid and apolipoprotein values for weight and age. We observed a significant interaction between apoB genotype and LDLR genotype for mean TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations (P=0.0308, 0.0010, and 0.0181, respectively), suggesting different effects of the apoB genotype in each group. No such interaction was detected for mean HDL-C, apoA1, and TG concentrations or for mean TC to HDL-C ratios (P=0.9746, 0.1632, 0.5763, 0.2808, and 0.2228, respectively). Variances of all lipid and apolipoprotein variables examined were similar between control groups with different apoB genotypes.

Finally, we looked for possible interactions between apoE and apoB genotypes in FH and controls. Because the numbers of subgroups were too small, subjects with the apoB Del/Del genotype were excluded from this analysis. For all lipids and apolipoproteins examined, no interactions were detected in FH (data not shown). However, in controls, strong interactions were observed for apoB concentrations and for TC to HDL-C ratios (P=0.0169 and 0.0463, respectively). Indeed, no significant effect of apoE genotype could be seen in those carrying the Ins/Ins genotype, whereas a significant influence of apoE genotype could be detected in those carrying the apoB Ins/Del genotype (Table 6Down). No interaction effects were observed for other lipid or apolipoprotein variables in controls.


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Table 6. ApoB Concentrations and TC to HDL-C Ratios With Respect to ApoE Genotypes and ApoB Insertion/Deletion (Ins/Del) Genotypes in Controls


*    Discussion
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up arrowResults
*Discussion
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Our data illustrate that the phenotype of a "simple" monogenic disorder such as FH is in fact a complex trait. Indeed, phenotypic variability as assessed by measures of plasma concentrations of TC, LDL-C, and apoB was significantly greater among FH children than controls even when all affected children carried the same mutation. However, when means are taken into account by computing CVs, the variability of LDL-C and apoB concentrations proved to be smaller in the presence of the >15-kb deletion than in its absence. Similar observations were reported in French-Canadian adults carrying the same mutation.5 The subjects chosen for our study were unrelated to each other up to the third degree or more to minimize the selection bias pertaining to their common genetic background, thus providing a better estimate of the phenotypic variability associated with this specific mutation. The variability observed is a minimum estimate because all patients were referred to a specialized lipid clinic owing to a family history of hyperlipidemia and/or premature arteriosclerosis. Some heterozygotes may not come to medical attention because of a milder phenotype.

By comparison with adults, children are less influenced by confounding environmental factors such as alcohol consumption, use of medication, and the presence of undetected diseases. They may therefore be better subjects in whom to identify genetic factors involved in phenotypic variability. Moreover, subjects carrying the >15-kb deletion are functional hemizygotes. Therefore, variable interaction between the mutant gene product and its ligand or between the mutant gene product and the wild-type gene product cannot influence phenotypic expression. This characteristic should further facilitate the identification of other genetic factors involved in phenotypic variability. We found that the {varepsilon}2/3 genotype was associated with lower mean TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations in FH children. This effect was not sex-specific. Ferrieres et al7 showed a similar effect in French-Canadian FH women but not in men. Tonstad et al16 did not detect any influence of apoE genotype on lipid levels of Norwegian FH children. To our knowledge, this is the only study done in FH children that is available for comparison. Other studies done in various adult populations with FH reported an influence of the apoE genotype on TC and/or LDL-C in some3 17 18 but not all of them.4 19 20 It appears that in FH, different environmental and genetic backgrounds may modulate the effect of the apoE polymorphism.

Although the {varepsilon}2/3 genotype was also associated with significantly lower mean TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations in control children, the magnitude of the effect was smaller than that observed in FH children. Again, no sex-specific effect was detected. As in adults,6 studies done in healthy pediatric populations uniformly showed an influence of the apoE genotype on the levels of TC, LDL-C, and apoB, with values increasing progressively in individuals with {varepsilon}2/3, {varepsilon}3/3, and {varepsilon}3/4 genotypes.21 22 23 24 25 26 The percentage of sample variance attributable to common apoE polymorphism was remarkably similar between studies done in 3 different pediatric populations: white Americans, Italians, and French Canadians. It ranged from 4.5% to 5.9%, 5.6% to 7.4%, and 6.0% to 8.2% for TC, LDL-C, and apoB concentrations, respectively.21 22

Conflicting results have been reported regarding the association of the apoB signal peptide length polymorphism with variation in lipid and apoB concentrations in adults. Some found an association between the Del allele and increased concentrations of TC, LDL-C, and apoB,9 27 28 29 while others did not detect this effect.9 30 Only 1 study is available for adults with FH, and no association was found between apoB Ins/Del genotypes and lipid levels.17 This observation is similar to our results in children with FH. However, we detected an effect of this polymorphism on mean LDL-C and apoB concentrations and on the mean TC to HDL-C ratio in controls. Sample size considerations do not seem to solely explain the discrepancies noted between the apoB genotype effect observed in controls compared with that observed in cases, as no trend could be seen in FH subjects. The reduced clearance of apoB-containing particles in FH may offset a modest effect on apoB secretion associated with apoB signal peptide polymorphism.

Our most unexpected result was the finding of a strong interaction between apoE and apoB Ins/Del genotypes on control apoB concentrations and the TC to HDL-C ratio, to the extent that no significant effect of the apoE genotype could be detected in those carrying the Ins/Ins genotype. Obviously, this result will need to be reproduced in other studies. However, a recent study showed that the apoB signal peptide and apoE genotypes interact to modulate hepatic secretion of VLDL.31


*    Acknowledgments
 
This work was supported in part by grants from the Fondation de l’Hôpital Sainte-Justine and the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (Réseau FRSQ/Hydro-Québec). N.B. was supported by a fellowship from the Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and by a fellowship from the Hoffmann–La Roche Foundation, Switzerland. The authors wish to thank Marie-Claude Guertin, PhD, for statistical analyses.


*    Footnotes
 
Reprint requests to Marie Lambert, MD, Medical Genetics Service, Sainte-Justine Hospital, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal (Qc) H3T 1C5, Canada.

Received February 22, 2001; accepted March 8, 2001.


*    References
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up arrowIntroduction
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*References
 

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