RESEARCH ARTICLE
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Gene Polymorphisms and Longevity Syndrome
Genovefa Kolovou1, *, Marianna Stamatelatou1, Katherine Anagnostopoulou1, Peggy Kostakou1, Vana Kolovou1, Constantinos Mihas2, Ioannis Vasiliadis1, Olga Diakoumakou1, Dimitri P Mikhailidis3, Dennis V Cokkinos1
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 4
First Page: 14
Last Page: 19
Publisher ID: TOCMJ-4-14
DOI: 10.2174/1874192401004010014
Article History:
Received Date: 21/12/2009Revision Received Date: 25/12/2009
Acceptance Date: 28/12/2009
Electronic publication date: 29/1/2010
Collection year: 2010

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Purpose:
High levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Subjects with high levels of HDL cholesterol (>70 mg/dl; 1.79 mmol/l) as well as high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, could represent a group with longevity syndrome (LS). Since HDL particles are influenced by cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, it is worth studying the CETP polymorphism. The aim of the study was to detect whether 2 genetic variants of the CETP are associated with the LS.
Subjects and Methods:
The study population consisted of 136 unrelated men and women with no personal and family history of CHD; 69 met the criteria for LS and 67 did not meet these criteria and had “normal” HDL cholesterol (>40 and <70 mg/dl; >1.03 and <1.79 mmol/l). All patients were genotyped for the TaqIB and I405V polymorphisms.
Results:
The B2 allele frequency of TaqIB polymorphism was higher in the LS in comparison with the non-LS group (p=0.03) whereas B1 allele frequency was higher in the non-LS group (p=0.03).
Conclusions:
Gene polymorphisms could help decide whether individuals who have increased levels of both LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol require treatment. Some of the prerequisites could include that subjects with LS should not only have very high levels of HDL cholesterol but also favorable gene polymorphisms. However, further investigations with a larger sample and including other gene polymorphisms, are needed.