Apo E lipoprotein is polymorphic and exists in three common isoforms (E2, E3 and E4), which are the gene products of three apo E alleles, ε2, ε3 and ε4. Apo E lipoprotein plays an important role in the regulation of the lipid metabolism through its ability to bind to receptors. Depending on the genotypes apo E polymorphism is either protective or increases risk for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate 1) the association between apo E allele and the development of coronary artery disease, 2) the association between apo E alleles and dyslipidemia in Korean males.

We studied 241 patients with angiographically verified coronary artery disease and 257 male subjects without evidence of coronary artery disease. Apo E genotyping was determined with the INNO-LiPA Apo E kit (Innogenetics, Belgium), which is based on reverse hybridization.

There was a higher frequency of the apo ε4 allele in subjects with coronary artery disease than in normal controls. The frequencies of apo E genotype were not significantly associated with apo ε2 were associated with higher levels of triglyceride and lower LDL, and the subjects with apo ε4 had lower levels of HDL cholesterol.

ApoE polymorphism is a genetic marker for risk of the development of coronary artery disease and an important determinant of dyslipidemia.