Hepatic lipase activity is lower in African American men than in white American men: effects of 5′ flanking polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC)

Gloria Lena Vega,Luther T Clark,Aylmer Tang,Santica Marcovina,Scott M Grundy,Jonathan C Cohen

doi:10.1016/s0022-2275(20)34218-8

Abstract

Plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations are higher in African American men than in white men, but the mechanism(s) responsible for this ethnic difference has not been elucidated. This study examined the relationship between hepatic lipase activity, plasma HDL-C concentrations, and a hepatic lipase polymorphism (–514T) in African American and white American men. Consistent with previous reports, plasma HDL-C concentrations were significantly higher in African American men than in white American men. Mean post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity was significantly lower in African American than in white American men (27 ± 12 vs. 44 ± 17 mmol • h–1 •l–1, P < 0.001). The –514T hepatic lipase allele was associated with low hepatic lipase activity in both populations, and was 3-fold more common among African Americans than white Americans. Taken together, these data suggest that genetic differences in hepatic lipase activity contribute to the differences in plasma HDL-C concentrations between African American men and white American men.—Vega, G. L., L. T. Clark, A. Tang, S. Marcovina, S. M. Grundy, and J. C. Cohen. Hepatic lipase activity is lower in African American men than in white American men: effects of 5′ flanking polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC). J. Lipid Res. 1998. 39: 228–232.

Highlights

Plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) concentrations are higher in African American men than in white men, but the mechanism(s) responsible for this ethnic difference has not been elucidated
Epidemiological studies have shown that plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations are higher in African American men than in white American men [1,2,3,4]
Mean post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity was markedly lower in African American men than in white men (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) concentrations are higher in African American men than in white men, but the mechanism(s) responsible for this ethnic difference has not been elucidated. Epidemiological studies have shown that plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations are higher in African American men than in white American men [1,2,3,4] This ethnic difference in plasma HDL-C concentrations cannot be accounted for by environmental factors, and is likely to be of genetic origin [2]. As the Ϫ514T allele leads to increased plasma HDL-C concentrations in men only, an increased frequency of this allele in African Americans could explain the sex-specific increase in plasma HDL-C concentrations in this population To test this hypothesis, we compared plasma HDL-C concentrations, post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activities, and Ϫ514T allele frequencies in African American and white American men.

Methods

Results

Conclusion