Description of a large pedigree with an adverse lipoprotein cholesterol phenotype: The Bogalusa Heart Study

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Abstract
A large pedigree (N = 356) with a high prevalence of heart disease and associated adverse lipoprotein phenotype was studied. The adverse lipoprotein phenotype is characterized by both low levels of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) alone (16.3%) and in combination with other adverse lipoprotein levels (12.8%). In all, 44.2% of all pedigree members had at least one adverse lipoprotein level. Analysis of mating types showed that all lipids and lipoproteins possess familial clustering with 25–36% of offspring above median levels when both parents had levels below the median, while 67–83% had levels above the median when both parents had levels above the median. Using adjusted lipid and lipoprotein levels, a statistically significant linear trend was found between the degree of relationship to pedigree members with heart disease, and both the low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) ratio (P < .05), and the very-low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C; P < .01) level. A similar analysis using the prevalence of adverse lipoprotein levels as the dependent variable and degree of relationship to heart diseased pedigree numbers as the independent variable showed significant (P < .05) relationships with VLDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Further genetic analyses of this pedigree may reveal genetic mechanisms responsible for the familiality of lipoprotein levels in this pedigree.