Background: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a crucial enzyme in plasma lipoprotein metabolism. Variants of the LPL gene (Pvu II and Hind III polymorphisms) may increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) but their effect on insulin resistance remains unknown. The present study was conducted to examine whether DNA variations of the LPL gene were related to insulin resistance, carbohydrate and lipid risk factors for CHD in nondiabetic individuals.
Methods: Pvu II and Hind III allele status of the LPL gene and fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid values were determined in nondiabetic men with angiographically documented CHD (n = 102) and in a control group (n = 145). Plasma glucose and insulin responses to a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance as measured by an insulin suppression test were also carried out in 46 (45%) of the patients with CHD and in 73 (50%) of the control individuals.
Results: The allele frequencies of LPL Pvu II and Hind III were not significantly different between the CHD patients and the controls. No association was found between Pvu II status and blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, lipid levels or insulin resistance in patients with CHD. Nevertheless, compared with individuals with the Hind III H2H2 allele, CHD patients carrying the H1 allele (H1H1 + H1H2) were more insulin resistant, as indicated by higher steady state plasma glucose concentrations (253 +/- 87 vs 200 +/- 74 mg/dl, p = 0.032).
Conclusions: We suggest that the LPL gene Hind III allele might be associated with insulin resistance in nondiabetic men with CHD. However, further studies with larger populations of both sexes will be required to confirm this finding.