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Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate whether a plant sterol mixture would reduce serum cholesterol when added to low fat dairy products in subjects with hypercholesterolaemia, and to examine the effects of the mixture on the serum plant sterol and fat-soluble vitamin levels.Design:A parallel, double-blind study.Setting:The study was performed in three different locations in Finland.Subjects:In total, 164 mildly or moderately hypercholesterolaemic subjects participated in the study.Methods:The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: a plant sterol group and a control group. The subjects consumed the products for 6 weeks after a 3-week run-in period. The targeted plant sterol intake was 2 g/day in the sterol group.Results:During the treatment period, there was a 6.5% reduction in serum total cholesterol in the sterol group while no change was observed in the control group (P<0.0005). Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was reduced by 10.4% in the sterol group and by 0.6% in the control group (P<0.00005). There was no change during the trial in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triacylglycerol concentrations. The HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio increased by 16.1% in the sterol group and by 4.3% in the control group (P=0.0001). Serum plant sterol levels increased significantly (P=0.0001) in the sterol group. None of the fat-soluble vitamin levels decreased significantly when changes in serum total cholesterol were taken into account. The hypocholesterolaemic effect of sterol administration was not influenced by apolipoprotein E phenotype.Conclusions:Yoghurt, low-fat hard cheese and low-fat fresh cheese enriched with a plant sterol mixture reduced serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic subjects and no adverse effects were noted in the dietary control of hypercholesterolaemia.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006) 60, 633–642. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602362; published online 11 January 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Gallstone disease is related to hypersecretion of cholesterol in bile, and low serum phytosterol levels. We examined how genetic polymorphisms of sterol transporters affect childhood cholesterol metabolism trait predicting adult gallstone disease., Patients and Methods: In retrospective controlled study, we determined D19H polymorphism of ABCG8 gene, genetic variation at Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) gene locus (rs41279633, rs17655652, rs2072183, rs217434 and rs2073548), and serum cholesterol, noncholesterol sterols and lipids in children affected by gallstones decades later (n = 66) and controls (n = 126)., Results: In childhood, phytosterols were lower (9.7%-23.4%) in carriers of risk allele 19H compared to 19D homozygotes. Lowest campesterol/cholesterol tertile consisted of 1.9-times more future gallstone subjects, and 3.7-times more 19H carriers than highest one. Campesterol/cholesterol-ratio was highest in 19D homozygote controls, but ∼11% lower in gallstone 19D homozygotes and ∼25% lower among gallstone and control carriers of 19H. Gallstone subjects with alleles CC of rs41279633 and TT of rs217434 of NPC1L1 had ∼18% lower campesterol/cholesterol-ratio compared to mutation carriers., Conclusions: Risk trait of cholesterol metabolism (low phytosterols) in childhood favouring cholesterol gallstone disease later in adulthood is influenced by risk variant 19H of ABCG8 and obviously also other factors. NPC1L1 variants have minor influence on noncholesterol sterols., (Copyright © 2018 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)