DNA polymorphisms flanking the apo A-1 and insulin genes and type III hyperlipidaemia.

Two alleles identified by DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms around the apo A-1/C-III and insulin genes have been shown to be associated with Type IV and V hyperlipidaemia. We have genotyped 19 patients with Type III hyperlipidaemia to establish whether this association is also found in the disorder. Our data show that these associations are not responsible for the majority of cases of Type III hyperlipidaemia, but cannot exclude the possibility that a small proportion (less than 50%) of cases of Type III are caused by interaction between these alleles and the apolipoprotein E2 phenotype.