Cited by 1,071Lipid metabolism and disordersLipoproteins and Cardiovascular HealthGenetic Associations and Epidemiology

Loss-of-Function Mutations in APOC3, Triglycerides, and Coronary Disease

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The TG and HDL Working Group of the Exome Sequencing Project, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute·2014·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Plasma triglyceride levels are heritable and are correlated with the risk of coronary heart disease. Sequencing of the protein-coding regions of the human genome (the exome) has the potential to identify rare mutations that have a large effect on phenotype. METHODS: We sequenced the protein-coding regions of 18,666 genes in each of 3734 participants of European or African ancestry in the Exome Sequencing Project. We conducted tests to determine whether rare mutations in coding sequence, individually or in aggregate within a gene, were associated with plasma triglyceride levels. For mutations associated with triglyceride levels, we subsequently evaluated their association with the risk of coronary heart disease in 110,970 persons. RESULTS: An aggregate of rare mutations in the gene encoding apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) was associated with lower plasma triglyceride levels. Among the four mutations that drove this result, three were loss-of-function mutations: a nonsense mutation (R19X) and two splice-site mutations (IVS2+1G→A and IVS3+1G→T). The fourth was a missense mutation (A43T). Approximately 1 in 150 persons in the study was a heterozygous carrier of at least one of these four mutations. Triglyceride levels in the carriers were 39% lower than levels in noncarriers (P<1×10(-20)), and circulating levels of APOC3 in carriers were 46% lower than levels in noncarriers (P=8×10(-10)). The risk of coronary heart disease among 498 carriers of any rare APOC3 mutation was 40% lower than the risk among 110,472 noncarriers (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.47 to 0.75; P=4×10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS: Rare mutations that disrupt APOC3 function were associated with lower levels of plasma triglycerides and APOC3. Carriers of these mutations were found to have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others.).

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  • Mendelian randomization analyses confirm a causal relationship between lifelong TRL elevation and ASCVD.

    “Observational cohorts demonstrate that higher TG and remnant cholesterol predict cardiovascular events independently of LDL-C, while Mendelian randomization analyses confirm a causal relationship between lifelong TRL elevation and ASCVD.”

    From Targeting triglycerides for cardiovascular risk reduction (2026) · cites this paper as [60]

    The Discussion (page unavailable in our copy) explicitly says that whether triglyceride-rich lipoproteins have a causal effect on coronary heart disease “remains unanswered.” It describes the APOC3 genetic findings as suggesting that a lifelong decrease in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins may be protective, not as confirming the claimed causal relationship. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Loss-of-function mutations of ApoC-III are associated with a lower risk of CVD.

    “In contrary, loss-of-function mutations of the ApoC-III are associated with a lower risk of CVD [170–172].”

    From Established and Emerging Lipid-Lowering Drugs for Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention (2023) · cites this paper as [172]

    The Results report a lower risk of coronary heart disease among carriers of rare APOC3 mutations, and the Discussion explicitly says that loss of APOC3 function confers protection against clinical coronary heart disease. The claim broadens that finding to CVD generally; our copy establishes the association for coronary heart disease, not all cardiovascular disease. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Apolipoprotein C-III is a central regulator of triglyceride metabolism that limits the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins through inhibition of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants.

    “Apolipoprotein C-III is a central regulator of triglyceride metabolism that limits the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins through inhibition of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants. 6-8”

    From Targeting <i>APOC3</i> with Olezarsen in Moderate Hypertriglyceridemia (2025) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Discussion states that APOC3 inhibits lipoprotein lipase and delays clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants. It does not explicitly identify hepatic uptake as the route of that delayed clearance; that more specific mechanism is not established by the cited paper’s discussion. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Loss-of-function mutations in APOC3 result in significantly lower plasma triglyceride levels and confer a 40-50% lower risk of ischemic cardiovascular events.

    “For instance, loss-of-function mutations in APOC3, which encodes apolipoprotein C-III, result in significantly lower plasma TG levels and confer a 40–50% lower risk of ischemic cardiovascular events [25].”

    From Targeting Triglycerides in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Emerging Therapies (2026) · cites this paper as [25]

    The Results report significantly lower triglyceride levels in carriers and a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease. The claim broadens that measured outcome to ischemic cardiovascular events generally, which the cited results do not establish. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Loss-of-function variants in APOC3 confer protection against coronary artery disease, independent of LDL cholesterol levels.

    “loss-of-function variants in APOC3 confer protection against coronary artery disease, independent of LDL cholesterol levels [60, 112]”

    From Targeting triglycerides for cardiovascular risk reduction (2026) · cites this paper as [60]

    The Results report a 40% lower coronary heart disease risk among carriers of rare APOC3 mutations. But the Discussion also reports lower LDL cholesterol in carriers and says the mechanism of protection cannot be pinpointed. The paper therefore does not establish that the protection is independent of LDL cholesterol levels. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
The TG and HDL Working Group of the Exome Sequencing Project, N. H.
Corresponding author
The TG and HDL Working Group of the Exome Sequencing Project, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2014-07-03
Volume
371
Issue
1
Pages
22-31
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W2170009139
Cited by
1,071
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 52 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 75 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 110 · 2019: 90 · 2018: 81 · 2017: 113 · 2016: 132 · 2015: 107 · 2014: 41
FWCI
89.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Universitätsbibliographie, Universität Duisburg-Essen (submittedVersion)
  • Discovery Research Portal (University of Dundee) (submittedVersion)
  • Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • mediaTUM (Technical University of Munich) (submittedVersion)
  • Site cant be reached (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Massachusetts General Hospital (R01HL107816)
  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • George Washington University
  • University of Washington
  • Donovan Family Foundation
  • University of Ottawa
  • Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Wellcome Trust
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislaufforschung
  • Università degli Studi di Milano
  • University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  • Broad Institute
  • Russell and Diana Hawkins Family Foundation
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (NF-SI-0611-10170)
  • British Heart Foundation
  • University of Leicester
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Leeds
  • Fondation Leducq (T32HL007208)
  • Lunds Universitet
  • Hjärt-Lungfonden
  • King Abdulaziz University
  • Universität zu Lübeck
  • Umeå Universitet
  • Technische Universität München
  • Università degli Studi di Verona
  • Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
  • Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF14OC0009819, NNF13OC0005339, NNF14OC0011049)
  • Regione Emilia-Romagna
  • National Institutes of Health (1rc2hl103010-01)
  • School of Medicine, Stanford University
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Medical Research Council
  • Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
  • Helmholtz Zentrum München
  • National Institute on Aging (P30AG010129, U01AG049505)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL 102923, RC2HL102925, HL-102924, K08HL114642, RC2HL102926, RC2HL102923, RC2HL-103010, HL 103010, RC2HL102924, R01HL107816, T32HL007208, R01HL109946)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA082659)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS017950)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Lipid metabolism and disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Keywords
apolipoprotein C-III, loss-of-function mutations, plasma triglycerides, coronary artery disease, rare variants, splice site mutation, nonsense mutation, missense mutations, genetic risk, European ancestry, African ancestry
MeSH terms
Coronary Disease, Genotype, Heterozygote, Humans, Liver, Mutation, Risk Factors, Triglycerides, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Black People, White People, Apolipoprotein C-III, Exome

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