The apolipoprotein E polymorphism and the cholesterol-raising effect of coffee

BACKGROUND: The response of serum cholesterol to diet may be affected by the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2/ε3/ε4 polymorphism, which also is a significant predictor of variation in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD death. Here, we test the hypothesis that the APOE polymorphism may modulate the cholesterol-raising effect of coffee. OBJECTIVE: We determined the effect of a coffee abstention period and a daily intake of 600 mL coffee on serum cholesterol and triglycerides with respect to the APOE polymorphism. DESIGN: 121 healthy, non-smoking men (22%) and women (78%) aged 29–65 years, took part in a study with four intervention periods: 1 and 3) a coffee free period of three weeks, 2 and 4) 600 mL coffee/day for four weeks. RESULTS: APOE ε2 positive individuals had significantly lower total cholesterol concentration at baseline (4.68 mmol/L and 5.28 mmol/L, respectively, p = 0.01), but the cholesterol-raising effect of coffee was not influenced significantly by APOE allele carrier status. CONCLUSIONS: The APOE ε 2 allele is associated with lower serum cholesterol concentration. However, the APOE polymorphism does not seem to influence the cholesterol-raising effect of coffee.