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Apolipoprotein E genotype and cerebral palsy

Lucia W Braga1, Eliana V M Borigato, Carlos E Speck-Martins

  • 1Neuropsychology Department, SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, SMHS Quadra 501 CJ. A Trreo, Brasilia DF, Brazil. luciabraga@sarah.br

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|December 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The APOE epsilon2 genotype is more common in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Further research is needed to explore links between APOE genotypes and specific comorbidities like epilepsy or microcephaly in CP patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a crucial lipid transport protein in the brain.
  • Understanding genetic factors like APOE genotype may offer insights into cerebral palsy (CP) etiology.
  • Previous research has not extensively explored the APOE genotype's role in CP incidence or its association with clinical phenotypes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and the incidence of cerebral palsy (CP).
  • To determine if specific APOE genotypes correlate with comorbid conditions or neurological deficit severity in individuals with CP.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study compared 243 individuals with spastic CP to age-, race-, and sex-matched healthy controls.
  • APOE genotyping was performed for all participants.
  • Associations between APOE genotype and CP incidence, comorbidities, and neurological deficits were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The APOE epsilon2epsilon3 genotype was significantly more prevalent in the CP group (11%) compared to controls (5%), with an odds ratio of 2.8.
  • The presence of the epsilon2 allele increased the likelihood of having CP (OR 3.2).
  • No significant association was found between APOE genotype and the severity or distribution of neurological deficits. However, the epsilon4epsilon4 genotype was observed in four CP patients with epilepsy and microcephaly, while the epsilon3epsilon3 genotype was common in those with macrocephaly.

Conclusions:

  • A higher prevalence of the APOE epsilon2 genotype is associated with cerebral palsy.
  • The observed associations between specific APOE genotypes (epsilon4epsilon4 with epilepsy/microcephaly, epsilon3epsilon3 with macrocephaly) warrant further investigation in CP cohorts.
Abstract

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