Factors contributing to variation in lipoprotein (a) in a Melbourne Chinese population

• Published in: Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 553 - 565
• Main Authors: Xiong, Zhuowei, Wahlqvist, Mark L., Hsu-Hage, Bridget H.-H., Biegler, Beryl M., Balazs, Nicholas D.H., Savige, Gayle, Xiong, Dingwei, Leng Lim, Yean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Apolipoprotein(a) phenotype; Biological and medical sciences; body mass index; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chinese; Coronary heart disease; diet; foods; genotype; Heart; Lipoprotein(a); low density lipoprotein cholesterol; Medical sciences; men; phenotype; regression analysis; risk factors; variance; women; Australia; Oceania; Chinese; Lipoprotein(a); risk factors; foods; Apolipoprotein(a) phenotype; genotype; Human; Ethnic origin; Feeding behavior; Socioeconomic status; Immigrant; Variability; Cardiovascular disease; Environmental factor; Coronary heart disease; Lipoprotein a; Feeding; Apolipoprotein A; Phenotype; Food intake; Risk factor; Life style
• ISSN: 0271-5317; 1879-0739
• DOI: 10.1016/S0271-5317(02)00369-X

The factors contributing to variation in lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] was studied in a Melbourne Chinese population. The plasma Lp(a) levels were highly skewed towards low levels in this population, with a median of 79 mg/L and a mean of 145 mg/L. Approximately 13% had plasma Lp(a) above the threshold value of 300 mg/L, while 57% had Lp(a) levels below 100 mg/L. The most commonly occurring phenotype was apolipoprotein(a) )] S4 which is usually inversely correlated with plasma Lp(a) levels but not S1 and S2, which are usually with higher levels of Lp(a). In this phenotype, Lp(a) concentrations ranged from 4 to 228 mg/L. The positive association of Lp(a) levels with BMI and LDL cholesterol was observed in women and men, respectively. Taken together, these observations indicate that the Lp(a) genotype, and its expressed phenotype, in Chinese may offer protection against CHD, unless in women there is an associated increase in BMI, and in men an associated increase in LDL. The stepwise regression analyses showed that in those over 60 years of age, about 29% of the variance of in Lp(a) was explained by diet and 12% by non-dietary factors. Thus, the apo(a) phenotypes clearly influence Lp(a) concentrations, but are not the only factors, which determine the variation in Lp(a) concentrations, environmental or other biochemical factors may contribute to Lp(a) status.