Dietary Fat Clearance in Normal Subjects Is Modulated by Genetic Variation at the Apolipoprotein B Gene Locus

Apolipoprotein B (apo B) plays a dominant role in cholesterol homeostasis. Several polymorphic sites within or adjacent to the gene locus for apo B have been detected. The X+ allele (XbaI restriction site present) of the XbaI restriction fragment polymorphism on the apo B gene has been found in some studies to be associated with higher serum cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels and with greater dietary response. The present study was designed to evaluate whether the apo B XbaI polymorphism was associated with the interindividual variability observed during postprandial lipemia. Fifty-one healthy young male volunteers [20 X-/X- (X-), and 31 X+/X- or X+/X+ (X+)], homozygotes for the apo E3 allele, were subjected to a vitamin A-fat load test. Subjects with the X- genotype had significantly greater retinyl palmitate (RP) and apo B-48 postprandial responses on both the large and the small TRL lipoprotein fractions compared with X+ subjects. In summary, subjects with the X-/X- genotype at the apo B locus have a greater postprandial response than X+ subjects. These differences observed in postprandial lipoprotein metabolism could explain some of the reported associations of this polymorphism to coronary heart disease risk.