Description of a large pedigree with an adverse lipoprotein cholesterol phenotype: the Bogalusa Heart Study
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This study found that adverse lipoprotein levels, including low high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), are common in families with heart disease. These levels show familial clustering and are linked to heart disease risk within the pedigree.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Genetics
- Lipid Metabolism
- Human Genetics
Background:
- Heart disease is a significant health concern often linked to adverse lipoprotein profiles.
- Familial aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors suggests a genetic component.
- Understanding lipoprotein phenotypes in families can elucidate disease mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of adverse lipoprotein phenotypes in a large pedigree with high heart disease incidence.
- To examine the familial clustering of lipid and lipoprotein levels within this pedigree.
- To determine the relationship between degree of kinship to heart disease-affected individuals and adverse lipoprotein levels.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lipid and lipoprotein levels in 356 pedigree members.
- Assessment of adverse lipoprotein phenotype prevalence (low HDL-C, high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, high VLDL-C).
- Mating type analysis to assess familial aggregation.
- Statistical analysis correlating degree of relationship to heart disease cases with lipid/lipoprotein levels.
Main Results:
- 44.2% of pedigree members exhibited at least one adverse lipoprotein level.
- Significant familial clustering of all measured lipids and lipoproteins was observed.
- A positive correlation was found between the degree of relationship to heart disease cases and both the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and VLDL-C levels.
Conclusions:
- Adverse lipoprotein levels and their familial aggregation are prominent in this pedigree with high heart disease prevalence.
- VLDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio are significantly associated with kinship to individuals with heart disease.
- Further genetic studies are warranted to uncover the specific genetic factors underlying lipoprotein familiality and heart disease risk.
Abstract:
A large pedigree (N = 356) with a high prevalence of heart disease and associated adverse lipoprotein phenotype was studied. The adverse lipoprotein phenotype is characterized by both low levels of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) alone (16.3%) and in combination with other adverse lipoprotein levels (12.8%). In all, 44.2% of all pedigree members had at least one adverse lipoprotein level. Analysis of mating types showed that all lipids and lipoproteins possess familial clustering with 25-36% of offspring above median levels when both parents had levels below the median, while 67-83% had levels above the median when both parents had levels above the median. Using adjusted lipid and lipoprotein levels, a statistically significant linear trend was found between the degree of relationship to pedigree members with heart disease, and both the low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) ratio (P less than .05), and the very-low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C; P less than .01) level. A similar analysis using the prevalence of adverse lipoprotein levels as the dependent variable and degree of relationship to heart diseased pedigree numbers as the independent variable showed significant (P less than .05) relationships with VLDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Further genetic analyses of this pedigree may reveal genetic mechanisms responsible for the familiality of lipoprotein levels in this pedigree.