Genetic susceptibility, dietary cholesterol intake, and plasma cholesterol levels in a Chinese population

Abstract

Accompanied with nutrition transition, non-HDL-C levels of individuals in Asian countries has increased rapidly, which has caused the global epicenter of nonoptimal cholesterol to shift from Western countries to Asian countries. Thus, it is critical to underline major genetic and dietary determinants. In the current study of 2,330 Chinese individuals, genetic risk scores (GRSs) were calculated for total cholesterol (TC; GRSTC, 57 SNPs), LDL-C (GRSLDL-C, 45 SNPs), and HDL-C (GRSHDL-C, 65 SNPs) based on SNPs from the Global Lipid Genetics Consortium study. Cholesterol intake was estimated by a 74-item food-frequency questionnaire. Associations of dietary cholesterol intake with plasma TC and LDL-C strengthened across quartiles of the GRSTC (effect sizes: −0.29, 0.34, 2.45, and 6.47; Pinteraction = 0.002) and GRSLDL-C (effect sizes: −1.35, 0.17, 5.45, and 6.07; Pinteraction = 0.001), respectively. Similar interactions with non-HDL-C were observed between dietary cholesterol and GRSTC (Pinteraction = 0.001) and GRSLDL-C (Pinteraction = 0.004). The adverse effects of GRSTC on TC (effect sizes across dietary cholesterol quartiles: 0.51, 0.82, 1.21, and 1.31; Pinteraction = 0.023) and GRSLDL-C on LDL-C (effect sizes across dietary cholesterol quartiles: 0.66, 0.52, 1.12, and 1.56; Pinteraction = 0.020) were more profound in those having higher cholesterol intake compared with those with lower intake. Our findings suggest significant interactions between genetic susceptibility and dietary cholesterol intake on plasma cholesterol profiles in a Chinese population.

Keywords

• epidemiology
• human genetics
• low-density lipoprotein
• high-density lipoprotein
• total cholesterol
• interaction