As such, individuals with high plasma HDL-C levels have a decreased risk of developing coronary artery disease. Genetics contribute to determining a person's plasma HDL-C level, and in a new JCI study Daniel Rader and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania show that mutations in the LIPG gene, which codes for an enzyme known as endothelial lipase, result in high plasma HDL-C levels.

The authors examined the LIPG gene in 585 subjects of European ancestry and identified 10 people with previously unreported rare mutated forms of this gene that were unique to subjects with very high HDL-C levels. Further studies revealed that mutations in the LIPG gene that cause loss of endothelial lipase activity were the cause of increased plasma HDL-C levels. These data provide important human genetic evidence that inhibition of endothelial lipase is likely to raise HDL-C levels in humans. Whether or not the resulting increase in HDL-C level due to this inhibition would impact cardiovascular health requires further study.

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Researcher Dr Tom Barber said:

"Polycystic ovary syndrome is an incredibly common condition affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility. It is a genetic condition and one that is strongly associated with obesity; it is therefore of huge relevance for women given today's obesity epidemic. Our research shows that a variant of the FTO gene that has previously been shown to be associated with obesity also influences susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome. These data provide the first genetic evidence to corroborate the well documented association between these two conditions. Our future work will focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms of polycystic ovary syndrome and its metabolic consequences with the hope of understanding how this common condition develops. This in turn will instruct future therapeutic developments for women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome."

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