[Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and Alzheimer disease]

At present a reliable and specific diagnostic test of Alzheimer's disease is not available. Thus far, diagnosis is based on clinical criteria despite their occasional inadequacy. Post mortem search for neuropathological hallmarks can establish the diagnosis with certainty. In the present case control study we performed an apoE genotyping for 21 patients, divided into an Alzheimer-positive and an Alzheimer-negative group after neuropathological search. As described in the literature, the apoE-epsilon 4 allele was overrepresented in the Alzheimer-positive group, while in the Alzheimer-negative group the apoE-epsilon 3 allele dominated. The epsilon 4 allele of the apoE gene may be considered as a biological risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Especially in geriatric patients with cognitive impairment, apoE genotyping seems to be a supplementary tool for risk assessment.