Dietary fat clearance in normal subjects is regulated by genetic variation in apolipoprotein E

Apolipoprotein E (apo E) plays an important role in receptor mediated clearance of lipoprotein particles from plasma. Common genetic variation in apo E exists with three alleles coding for proteins called E2, E3, and E4. In in vitro receptor binding assays, E2 binds poorly, whereas E3 and E4 function normally. Recently, the apo E phenotype has been shown to have an effect on low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels with levels in subjects with E2 lower and E4 higher than E3. We have examined the effect of the apo E polymorphism on dietary fat clearance using the vitamin A-fat loading test, which specifically labels intestinally derived lipoproteins with retinyl palmitate (RP). 27 normal subjects were studied, 10 with E3/3, 9 with E3/2, 7 with E4/3, and 1 with E4/4. After a vitamin A-containing fatty meal, postprandial RP concentrations were measured in chylomicron (S(f) > 1,000) and nonchylomicron (S(f) < 1,000) fractions for 14 h. Compared with E3/3 subjects, E3/2 subjects had a significantly higher nonchylomicron RP concentration (P < 0.05) (peak heights and areas below the curves) indicating slower clearance and the E4/3, E4/4 group had a significantly lower nonchylomicron RP concentration (P < 0.05) indicating faster clearance. The clearance in the latter group was twice that of E3/2 subjects (P < 0.01). Thus, heterozygosity for the defective form of apo E, E2, delays, and the surprising presence of a functionally normal allele, E4, increases clearance. This apo E effect on exogenous fat clearance may explain the recently described effect of the apo E phenotypes on LDL cholesterol levels.