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Published on: September 18, 2011
Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele and outcomes of traumatic spinal cord injury
Amitabh Jha1, Daniel P Lammertse, Joseph R Coll
1Craig Hospital Research Department, University of Colorado, 3425 S. Clarkson Street, Englewood, CO 80113, USA. ajha@craighospital.org
Background/Objective:
To test the hypothesis that apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphisms are associated with outcomes after spinal cord injury (SCI).
Methods:
Retrospective cohort study, from rehabilitation admission to discharge.
Participants:
Convenience sample of 89 persons with cervical SCI (C3-C8) treated from 1995 through 2003. Median age was 30 years (range 14-70); 67 were male (75%) and 83 were white (93%).
Main Outcome Measures:
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor and sensory scores, ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS), time from injury to rehabilitation admission, and length of stay (LOS) in rehabilitation.
Results:
Subjects with an APOE epsilon4 allele (n = 15; 17%) had significantly less motor recovery during rehabilitation than did individuals without an epsilon4 allele (median 3.0 vs 5.5; P < 0.05) and a longer rehabilitation LOS (median 106 vs 89 days; P = 0.04), but better sensory-pinprick recovery (median 5.0 vs 2.0; P= 0.03). There were no significant differences by APOE epsilon4 allele status in sensory-light touch recovery, likelihood of improving AIS Grade, or time from injury to rehabilitation admission.
Conclusions:
APOE epsilon4 allele was associated with differences in neurological recovery and longer rehabilitation LOS. Genetic factors may be among the determinants of outcome after SCI and warrant further study.
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