Related Experiment Videos
Increased apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 in epilepsy with senile plaques
G K Gouras1, N R Relkin, D Sweeney
1Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA. gkgouras@mail.med.cornell.edu
Annals of Neurology
|March 1, 1997
Summary
The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele, a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, is linked to beta-amyloid (A beta) deposition in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. This suggests A beta accumulation may occur in conditions with ApoE epsilon 4 and A beta overproduction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Pathology
Background:
- The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- A beta deposition, forming senile plaques (SPs), is observed in AD, Down's syndrome, normal aging, and recently in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ApoE epsilon 4 genotype and beta-amyloid (A beta) deposition in TLE patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of temporal lobe tissue from TLE patients who underwent temporal lobectomy.
- Genotyping for ApoE epsilon 4 allele.
- Assessment of A beta deposition in the form of senile plaques (SPs).
Main Results:
- TLE patients with SPs exhibited a 70% ApoE epsilon 4 carrier frequency.
- Age-matched TLE controls without SPs had a 27% ApoE epsilon 4 carrier frequency.
- A significant association was found between ApoE epsilon 4 and A beta deposition in TLE.
Conclusions:
- The association between ApoE epsilon 4 and intracerebral A beta accumulation is not limited to elderly individuals or those with dementia.
- ApoE epsilon 4 may contribute to A beta accumulation in conditions characterized by both the allele and overproduction of A beta precursor protein.