Genetic variability of human plasma and erythrocyte lipids

Genetic variation of fasting plasma lipids, lipoproteins and erythrocyte membrane lipids was studied in 67 sets of like-sexed twins and 3 sets of triplets. All of the plasma lipids were more variable in dizygotic twins than monozygotic twins with the exception of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, but only cholesteryl esters, lecithin, phosphatidyl inositol and β-lipoprotein showed significant genetic variation. In contrast, no significant genetic variability was found in any of the erythrocyte membrane lipids and erythrocyte phosphatidyl ethanolamine had significantly greater variation in monozygotic twins. Two sets of twins had an extra lipoprotein band (slow α1); in one family the variant appeared to be segregating as a dominant trait.