DNA polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein B gene are associated with obesity and serum lipids in healthy Indians in Singapore

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Abstract
Saha N, Tay JSH, Heng CK, Humphries SE. DNA polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein B gene are associated with obesity and serum lipids in healthy Indians in Singapore. Clin Genet 1993: 44: 113–120. © Munksgaard, 1993 Three DNA polymorphisms (Ins/Del, XbaI and EcoRI) of the apolipoprotein B gene and their influence on body‐mass index, serum lipids and apolipoprotein levels were studied in 181 healthy Indians of both sexes (121 males and 60 females), aged between 17 and 71 years. The frequencies of X+ (XbaI) and Del (Ins/Del) of the signal peptide region in Indians were found to be significantly lower (0.17 and 0.11, respectively) compared to the frequencies in Caucasians (0.50 and 0.32, respectively) (P < 0.025). The frequency of E—(EcoRI) was similar to that in Caucasians (0.10 vs 0.15). A highly significant linkage disequilibrium was observed between the XbaI site and Ins/Del polymorphism of the apo B gene in this sample (X2= 31.9, PX+ allele was significantly associated with higher body mass index (X2= 11.43, PX2= 5.11; PX2= 6.42; P< 0.025) levels. Mean values of adjusted BMI and serum triglyceride levels were found to be 29.0\pm1.92 vs 23.7\pm 0.67 (PPDel and X+ compared to others. The multiple regression tests showed that 3.3 and 5.8% of the total variability of BMI is explained by Ins/Del and XbaI polymorphism, respectively, in this sample (P= 0.06 and 0.02), while 3.8% of serum triglyceride levels was explained by Ins/Del polymorphism of the apo B gene (P= 0.04). Further, the serum HDL cholesterol level was significantly associated with XbaI polymorphism, with X+ having significantly lower HDL cholesterol, and it explained about 5% of the total variability (P= 0.02).