الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The progression of atherosclerosis is influenced by genetic and environmental risk factors. A number of established risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking are significantly related to cardiovascular risk. Genetic factors may account for more than 50% of the risk for CV disease. There are only a few genetic polymorphisms clearly identified so far which contribute to premature CAD, the ApoE gene is a particularly promising candidate gene because ApoE represents an essential structural component of lipoproteins. ApoE has a storied history as a lipid transport protein and the integral association between cholesterol homeostasis and lipoprotein clearance from circulation are intimately related to ApoE’s function as a ligand for cell-surface receptors of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family. ApoE is a plasma glycoprotein and a member of the apo gene family, it is located at chromosome 19q13.2, and consists of four exons and three introns spanning 3597 nucleotides, and produces a 299 amino acid polypeptide with a molecular mass of about 34 kDa. |