Additive Effect of APOE Rare Variants on the Phenotype of Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH) is due to deleterious variants in LDLR, APOB, or PCSK9 genes. Double heterozygote for these genes induces a more severe phenotype. More recently, a new causative variant of heterozygous ADH was identified in APOE. Here we study the phenotype of 21 adult patients, double heterozygotes for rare LDLR and rare APOE variants (LDLR+APOE) in a national wide French cohort.

LDLR, APOB, PCSK9, and APOE genes were sequenced in 5743 probands addressed for ADH genotyping. The lipid profile and occurrence of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases were compared between the LDLR+APOE carriers (n=21) and the carriers of the same LDLR causative variants alone (n=22).

The prevalence of LDLR+APOE carriers in this French ADH cohort is 0.4%. Overall, LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol concentrations were 23% higher in LDLR+APOE patients than in LDLR patients (9.14±2.51 versus 7.43±1.59 mmol/L, P=0.0221). When only deleterious or probably deleterious variants were considered, the LDL-cholesterol concentrations were 46% higher in LDLR+APOE carriers than in LDLR carriers (10.83±3.45 versus 7.43±1.59 mmol/L, P=0.0270). Two patients exhibited a homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype (LDL-cholesterol >13 mmol/L). Premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was more common in LDLR+APOE patients than in LDLR carriers (70% versus 30%, P=0.026).

Although an incomplete penetrance should be taken into account for APOE variant classification, these results suggest an additive effect of deleterious APOE variants on ADH phenotype highlighting the relevance of APOE sequencing.