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Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease in eastern Finland
M Lehtovirta1, S Helisalmi, A Mannermaa
1Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Neuroscience Letters
|February 6, 1995
Summary
The epsilon 4 allele of Apolipoprotein E is more common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients than controls. Its presence is linked to an earlier age of onset in late-onset AD cases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a protein crucial for lipid transport.
- Apolipoprotein E exhibits genetic variations, with three common alleles: epsilon 2, epsilon 3, and epsilon 4.
- The epsilon 4 allele is a known risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele in different subtypes of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- To compare ApoE epsilon 4 allele frequencies between Finnish AD patients and healthy controls.
- To examine the relationship between ApoE epsilon 4 allele dosage and age of onset in late-onset AD.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) alleles in 202 Finnish Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 55 controls.
- Classification of AD patients into four subgroups: sporadic early-onset, sporadic late-onset, familial early-onset, and familial late-onset.
- Statistical analysis to compare allele frequencies and assess the correlation between allele number and age at onset.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele frequency were observed among the four Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient subgroups.
- All Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient subgroups showed a significantly higher frequency of the ApoE epsilon 4 allele compared to controls (P < 0.0001).
- In late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, an increase in ApoE epsilon 4 allele count (from 0 to 2) correlated with a decrease in age at onset (from 76 to 69 years).
Conclusions:
- The Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele is a significant risk factor across all studied Alzheimer's disease (AD) subtypes in the Finnish population.
- The presence of the ApoE epsilon 4 allele is strongly associated with an earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly in late-onset cases.
- Further research into ApoE's role in AD pathogenesis is warranted.
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