Butyrylcholinesterase: Association with the Metabolic Syndrome and Identification of 2 Gene Loci Affecting Activity

Background: Plasma cholinesterase activity is known to be correlated with plasma triglycerides, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, and other features of the metabolic syn-drome. A role in triglyceride metabolism has been proposed. Genetic variants that decrease activity have been studied extensively, but the factors contributing to overall variation in the population are poorly under-stood. We studied plasma cholinesterase activity in a sample of 2200 adult twins to assess covariation with cardiovascular risk factors and components of the met-abolic syndrome, to determine the degree of genetic effects on enzyme activity, and to search for quantitative trait loci affecting activity. Methods and Results: Cholinesterase activity was lower in women than in men before the age of 50, bu