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Genetic Analysis of Indicators of Cholesterol Synthesis and Absorption: Lathosterol and Phytosterols in Dutch Twins and Their Parents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Dorret I. Boomsma ,
Hans M. Princen ,
Rune R. Frants ,
Jan A. Gevers Leuven  and
Herman-Jan M. Kempen
Dorret I. Boomsma*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology,Vrije Universiteit. dorret@psy.vu.nl
Hans M. Princen
Affiliation:
Gaubius Laboratory PG-TNO, Leiden,The Netherlands.
Rune R. Frants
Affiliation:
Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden,The Netherlands.
Jan A. Gevers Leuven
Affiliation:
Gaubius Laboratory PG-TNO, Leiden,The Netherlands.
Herman-Jan M. Kempen
Affiliation:
Gaubius Laboratory PG-TNO, Leiden,The Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: Dorret Boomsma, Dept Biological Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

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Significant familial aggregation was observed for plasma levels of lathosterol (an indicator of whole-body cholesterol synthesis) and plant sterols campesterol and β-sitosterol (indicators of cholesterol absorption) in 160 Dutch families consisting of adolescent mono- and dizygotic twin pairs and their parents. For lathosterol a moderate genetic heritability in parents and offspring (29%) was found. In addition, shared environment also contributed significantly (37%) to variation in plasma lathosterol concentrations in twin siblings. However, a model with different genetic heritabilities in the two generations (10% in parents and 68% in offspring) fitted the data almost as well. For plasma plant sterol concentrations high heritabilities were found. For campesterol heritability was 80% and for β-sitosterol it was 73%, without evidence for differences in heritability between sexes or generations. No influence of common environmental influences shared by family members was seen for either campesterol or β-sitosterol. Taken together, these results confirm and expand the hypothesis that individual differences in plasma levels of noncholesterol sterols are moderately (lathosterol) to highly (plant sterols) heritable.

Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , 01 August 2003 , pp. 307 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003