Il polimorfismo I405V del gene della proteina di trasferimento degli esteri del colesterolo nei giovani e nei grandi vecchi

This study was designed to analyze the prevalence of I405V polymorphism in the cholesteryl estertransfer protein (CETP) gene, the blood CETP concentration, the lipoprotein pattern and cer-tain clinical endpoints in two populations, one of young and another of very old individuals. We recruited 100 healthy young adults (median age 31 years) and 100 very old subjects (medi-an age 89 years) and analyzed their DNA for the presence of variants V and I of the CETP gene.Subjects with the V/V genotype had lower serum concentrations of CETP. The frequency of thisgenotype in the very old was more than double that in the young population. Young adults withthe V/V genotype had a less atherogenic lipoprotein pattern [lower total and LDL cholesterol lev-els, lower apolipoprotein (Apo) B levels, and a lower Apo B/Apo A-I ratio] than those with theI/V or I/I genotypes. The very old subjects, particularly those with the V/V genotype, had larg-er LDL than the young adults. The prevalence of clinical endpoints was much lower among thevery old subjects with the V/V genotype.