Genetic and environmental contributions to serum ascorbic acid concentrations: the Stanislas Family Study.
Although numerous environmental factors are documented to influence serum ascorbic concentrations, little is known about the genetic versus environmental contributions to variation of this trait. The aim of this study was to estimate family correlation and, additive genetic heritability and household effects in a variance component analysis for serum ascorbic acid concentrations. In a sample of ninety French families, information was obtained regarding serum ascorbic acid concentrations, usual dietary intake, lifestyle, and other related covariates. Spouse, parent –offspring and offspring –offspring significant correlation coefficients for serum ascorbic acid concentrations, adjusted for ag…
Low and very low density lipoprotein composition and resistance to copper-induced oxidation are not notably modified in smokers.
To study whether tobacco use was associated with oxidative phenomena affecting lipoproteins, we estimated susceptibility of LDL and VLDL to an in vitro copper-mediated oxidation, and measured serum autoantibody titers against oxidized LDL in 45 middle-age healthy nonsmokers, 35 smokers and 37 ex-smokers of both sexes, taking into account the detailed lipid composition of the lipoproteins. VLDL from female smokers had higher triglyceride, phospholipid, apolipoprotein E and alpha-tocopherol content and showed a higher rate of copper-induced oxidation in comparison with those from nonsmokers (P < or = 0.05) whereas the relative composition of these particles in saturated, mono- or poly-unsatur…