Spontaneous Hypercholesterolemia in Pigs

Abstract

Genetic factors contribute approximately 50% to the variability in plasma cholesterol. The best-characterized cholesterol-elevating mutations are those of the LDL receptor locus. Together, these mutations account for approximately 1% of the incidence of hypercholesterolemia in the human population. Since the estimated heritability coefficient for hypercholesterolemia is approximately 0.5, the quest is on to identify other gene loci that contribute to hypercholesterolemia.