Nutrigenetics and Blood Cholesterol Levels in Response to Plant Sterols

Abstract Accumulating evidence suggests that plant sterols (PSs) decrease cholesterol concentrations. Moreover, the cholesterol-lowering effect depends on genetics, and considerable variability in the response exists across individuals. The goal of this review is to summarize the genetic variants responsible for the responsiveness of blood cholesterol concentrations to dietary PS. Previous studies identified genetic variations in the APOE and CYP7A1 genes predicting the response to PS intervention. Currently, these responses appear to be associated with genetic variations in ABCG8, APOE, CETP, CYP7A1, and NPC1L1. Moreover, a recent study demonstrated that a combinatory pattern between APOE and CYP7A1 genes predicts a more significant decrease in LDL-C concentrations in response to consumption of 2 g/day of PS for 28 d. A growing body of epidemiological and clinical evidence demonstrated the lipid-lowering effect of PSs, and genetic variants play a role in the efficacy of PSs. Additional studies evaluating a combination of polymorphisms in genes involved in cholesterol metabolism are required to optimize the use of PSs in clinical practice.