Title
Genetic analysis of indicators of cholesterol synthesis and absorption: Lathosterol and phytosterols in Dutch twins and their parents
Author
Gaubius Instituut TNO Preventie en Gezondheid
Boomsma, D.I.
Princen, H.M.
Frants, R.R.
Leuven, J.A.G.
Kempen, H.J.M.
Publication year
2003
Abstract
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.
Subject
Biomedical Research
campesterol
cholesterol
lathosterol
phytosterol
sitosterol
sterol
adolescent
adult
article
atherosclerosis
cholesterol synthesis
dizygotic twins
family study
female
genetic analysis
genetic model
heritability
human
major clinical study
male
monozygotic twins
Netherlands
priority journal
sex difference
twins
Adolescent
Adult
Cholesterol
Environment
Female
Humans
Inheritance Patterns
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Phytosterols
Twins
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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ae05d6f3-9425-4f78-95d4-202d9f74f201
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1375/136905203322296674
TNO identifier
237203
ISSN
1369-0523
Source
Twin Research, 6 (6), 307-314
Document type
article