Discussion 

The most significant finding of this study was the significantly diminished prevalence of the ApoE e4 allele in centenarians compared to younger age groups. The percentage frequency of this allele (8.4%) was less than half that found inSubclasses are genetically determined. Am J Hum Genet.  ; 11:157-166. Ehnholm C, Lukka M, Kuusi T, Nikkila E, Utermann G. Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in the Finnish population: gene frequencies and relation to lipoprotein concentrations. J Lipid Res.  1986;27:227-237. Eto M, Watanabe K, Ishii K. Reciprocal effects of apolipoprotein E alleles (e2 and E3) on plasma lipid levels in normolipidemic subjects. Clin Genet.  1985;28:  ,  - ,  Ordovas JM, Litwack-Klein L, Wilson PWF, Schaefer MM, Schaefer EJ. Apolipoprotein E isoform phenotyping methodology and population frequency with identification of apol and apo2 isoforms. J Fund Res.  ; 23:  ,  - ,  Lehtimaki T, Moilanen T, Viikari J, Akerblom HK, Ehnholm C, Ronnemaa T, Marniemi J, Dahlen G, Nikkari T. Apolipoprotein E phenotypes in Finnish youths: a cross-sectional and 9-year follow-up study. J Lipid Res.  ; 31:117-125. Utermann G, Hardenig A, Zimmere F. Apolipoprotein E phenotypes in patients with myocardial infarction. Hum Genet.  ; 72:106-109. Cumming AM, Robertson FW. Polymorphism at the apoprotein-E locus in relation to risk of coronary disease. Clin Genet. 1987;31:   ,   - ,  Lenzen HJ, Assmann G, Buchwalsky R, Schulte H. Association of apolipoprotein E polymorphism, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and coronary artery disease. Clin Chem, 1992;38:  ,  - ,  Kuusi T, Nieminen MS, Ehnholm C, Yki-Jarvinen H, Valle Nikkila EA, Taskinen M-R. Apoprotein-E polymorphism and coronary artery disease: increased prevalence of apolipoprotein E-4 in angiographically verified coronary patients. Circulation. 1992;85:  ,  - ,  Ludvig EH, Blackhart BD, Pierotti VR, Caiati L, Fortier C, Knott T, Scott J, Mahley DW, Lewy-Wilson B, McCarthy BJ. DNA sequence of the human apolipoprotein B gene. DNA.  ; 4:   ,   - ,  Previous studies on Finns have shown that both the apoE e4 and the apoB X2 allele are associated with serum total and LDL cholesterol levels that are significantly higher than average in childhood11-17 and adulthood.818 In our centenarians, we found a similar although statistically nonsignificant association between the presence of one or other of these alleles and high serum cholesterol levels in centenarians (Table 4). When the alleles at both loci were taken into account, the association between a high serum cholesterol level and apoE e4 plus apoB X2 reached statistical significance (Figure). This result is similar to that observed in a younger sample of the Finnish population.45 Our data suggest that the cholesterol-elevating effects of the apoE e4 allele and apoB X2 allele are lifelong. A further point of interest concerning these centenarians was their relatively high total HDL cholesterol level. According to cross-sectional and follow-up studies, serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decrease in the oldest age group, but a corresponding decline is less evident for HDL cholesterol.46-47 The high levels of HDL in all our centenarians support the view that high HDL cholesterol is associated with longevity and that it may exert a protective influence against Aalto-Setala K, Viikari J, Akerblom H, Kuusela V, Kontula DNA polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein B and AI/CIII genes are associated with variations of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in childhood. J Lipid Res.  ;  33:   ,   - ,  Aalto-Setala K, Tikkanen M, Taskinen M-R, Nieminen M, Holmberg P, Kontula K. Xbal and c/g polymorphisms of the lipoprotein B gene locus are associated with serum cholesterol LDL cholesterol levels in Finland. Atherosclerosis. 1991;87:  ,  - ,  Aalto-Setala K, Gylling H, Helve E, Kovanen P, MI'm sorry, but the text you provided is not sufficient for me to understand the context and purpose of the content. Please provide me with more information or the complete text so that I can assist you better.