Is the apolipoprotein E4 allele always hazardous? Serum uric acid level as a conflict.

Hyperuricemia, dyslipidemia, and apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study sought to determine the association of apoE gene polymorphism with hyperuricemia and dyslipidemia in young healthy people. Association of serum uric acid (SUA) and serum lipids with apoE was studied by analysis of variance in 198 healthy southern Iranian candidates. Subjects with an E2/E3 genotype had a lower cholesterol level in comparison with E3/E3 individuals. In addition, male E3/E4 subjects had a lower SUA level in comparison with other men. Lower cholesterol levels in E2 carriers mean a lower risk for CVDs, while SUA, as another risk factor for CVDs, in male E4 carriers was low. Regarding the higher risk for CVDs in men and the known role of SUA and apoE polymorphism in CVDs, it is not simple to guess the net effect of each one of these risk factors. This is the first report to study the association between SUA level and apoE in healthy men.