The influence of the S19W SNP of the APOA5 gene on triglyceride levels in southern Brazil: Interactions with the APOE gene, sex and menopause status

Background and aims: Hypertriglyceridemia is an important independent risk factor for coronary artery diseases and is determined by a wide range of factors, both genetic and exogenous. The A5 apolipoprotein, which is associated with the synthesis and removal of triglycerides (TG), is encoded by the APOA5 gene. One of the polymorphisms of this gene that has been the focus of a large number of studies, and which appears to be associated with increased TG, is S19W (rs 3135506). In this study, we examined the influence of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on TG levels of a sample of southern Brazilians. Methods and results: Samples obtained from 567 people of European descent were genotyped; interactions between this variant and anthropometric variables were analyzed, and the effects of lifestyle, sex, menopause, and variations of the APOE gene were evaluated. We found that the 19W allele is associated with increased TG (p = 0.025) and that this influence was modulated by sex (p = 0.003), menopause (p = 0.022) and the presence of the E*4 allele (p = 0.027). Conclusion: Our data showed, for the first time, the importance and magnitude of the influence of the S19W variant in a southern Brazilian population. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.