Pedigree analysis of HDL cholesterol concentration in baboons on two diets.

Using complex segregation analysis, we examined the effects of genetic factors and diet on serum concentrations of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in baboons. In analyses of 710 baboons in 23 sire families, we found evidence for a major gene as well as a polygenic contribution to HDL-C concentration in baboons fed a basal (chow) diet and also in the same animals after challenge with a high-cholesterol, saturated-fat diet. There was evidence for a polygenic contribution to the change in HDL-C concentration in response to the dietary challenge, but there was no evidence for a major gene effect.