Genetic Basis for Familial Hypertriglyceridemia (FHTG)
Abstract: Individuals with Familial Hypertriglyceridemia (FHTG) have elevated levels of triglycerides and normal total cholesterol. FHTG affects about 1% of the US population and is one of the most common genetic lipid disorders in patients with coronary artery disease. FHTG is thought to segregate as an autosomal dominant disorder but the single segregation analysis has not been conclusively replicated. The long-term objective of this proposal is to identify gene(s) that predispose individuals to FHTG using family-based linkage analysis and determine how elevated levels of serum triglycerides and lipids predispose these individuals to atherosclerosis. We plan to accomplish the objective by pursuing the following two specific aims:
- Identify families with FHTG. We will identify probands through the statewide CARDIAC program and through a network of health clinics
- Identify FHTC susceptibility loci by linkage analysis on a genome-wide set of markers and on a small set of previously identified FHTG candidate loci. We will use linkage analysis methods to determine which loci contribute to FHTG in patients from the WV population and test for linkage and association with single
The proposed work is innovative because we have access to patients in West Virginia who have not been studied. Our findings will be significant because they will further our understanding of the pathogenesis of vascular disease and because these susceptibility genes represent new targets for preventative and therapeutic interventions.
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ACoRN - Statins as protective agents for aortic endothelial cells (R. Kreisberg)
