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Biomedical subjects

N Chonan

Publications and source records attributed to N Chonan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Familial hypercholesterolemia and apolipoprotein E4.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between two genetic factors associated with raised blood cholesterol, i.e. familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and apolipoprotein (apo) E4. A group of 50 unrelated heterozygous FH patients aged 33-71 years were studied together with 129 normolipidemic subjects. A significantly higher frequency of apo E4 phenotypes was found in FH patients (30.0%) than in normolipidemic subjects (15.5%). FH patients were divided into two groups with and without apo E4. Plasma total cholesterol (Chol) and triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly higher, and plasma low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-Chol) level tended to be higher in FH patients with apo E4 than in those without apo E4. In addition, the prevalence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) was significantly higher in FH patients with apo E4 (73.3%) than in those without apo E4 (31.4%). No significant difference was noted in age and in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and smoking between the FH groups with and without apo E4. These results suggest that apo E4 is associated with higher levels of total Chol and TG and, at least in part, contributes to the predisposition to IHD in FH.

Adult↗

Increased frequency of apolipoprotein epsilon 4 allele in type II diabetes with hypercholesterolemia.

The apolipoprotein E (apoE) phenotype and allele frequencies were examined in type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with normolipidemia (n = 134) and hypercholesterolemia (type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia, n = 35; type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia, n = 42). The frequencies of apoE4-present phenotypes (apoE4/3, apoE4/4, and apoE4/2) were highest in the type IIa group (51.4%), followed by the type IIb group (38.1%) and the normolipidemic group (16.4%), respectively, whereas the frequency of the most common phenotype, apoE3/3, was lowest in the type IIa group (48.6%), followed by the type IIb group (61.9%) and the normolipidemic group (79.9%), respectively. There were significant differences in the apoE phenotype frequencies between the normolipidemic group and the type IIa and IIb groups. The frequency of the epsilon 4 allele was significantly higher in the type IIa (28.6%) and IIb (20.2%) groups than in the normolipidemic group (8.9%), whereas the frequency of the epsilon 3 allele was significantly lower in the type IIa (71.4%) and IIb (78.6%) groups than in the normolipidemic group (89.2%). The frequency of the epsilon 2 allele tended to be lower in diabetic patients with hypercholesterolemia. In addition, these frequencies were also examined in nondiabetic subjects (n = 59). The frequency of the epsilon 4 allele tended to be higher in hypercholesterolemic diabetic subjects (24.1%) than in hypercholesterolemic nondiabetic subjects (15.3%). These data suggest that diabetic patients with the epsilon 4 allele may be more susceptible to hypercholesterolemia than diabetic patients without the epsilon 4 allele and possibly nondiabetic subjects with the epsilon 4 allele, although the underlying mechanism is unknown.

Adult↗

Lowering effect of pantethine on plasma beta-thromboglobulin and lipids in diabetes mellitus.

Pantethine in a dosage of 600 mg for the first 3 months, and in a dosage of 1200 mg for the second 6 months was given to 16 diabetics in whom plasma beta-thromboglobulin was raised (greater than 50 ng/ml). Plasma beta-TG levels decreased significantly with pantethine treatment for 9 months. Plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, apo E and apo CII levels decreased significantly after 9 months. Plasma LDL-C and atherogenic index (LDL-C/HDL-C ratio or apo B/apo AI ratio) tended to decrease with treatment. It is concluded that administration of pantethine may be beneficial in the prevention of diabetic angiopathy because of its lowering effect on plasma beta-TG, lipids and apolipoproteins.

Adult↗