Association between Alzheimer's Disease and Apolipoprotein E Polymorphisms.

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Neuroscience
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder.
• Genetic factors, including Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes, influence AD susceptibility.
• The APOE ε4 allele is a known risk factor for late-onset AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between APOE genotypes and alleles with Alzheimer's disease in the Iranian population.
• To determine the frequency of APOE genotypes and alleles in AD cases and control subjects.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of APOE in 154 AD cases and 162 controls from Iran using PCR.
• Comparison of genotype and allele frequencies between cases and controls.
• Statistical analysis using chi-squared or Fisher's exact test.

Main Results:

• The APOE ε2ε3 genotype was more frequent in controls (13.5%) than in AD cases (5.2%).
• The APOE ε3ε4 genotype was significantly more frequent in AD cases compared to controls.
• APOE ε2 allele frequency was lower in cases but not significantly different from controls.

Conclusions:

• Carrying the APOE ε4 allele increases the risk of developing AD by approximately 6.5 times.
• The risk associated with the APOE ε4 allele appears higher in males than in females.
• Findings highlight the role of APOE ε4 in AD pathogenesis within the Iranian population.