Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele frequency is not increased in progressive supranuclear palsy.
We examined apolipoprotein E (ApoE) immunoreactivity and allele frequency in 12 autopsied cases of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by diffuse neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation without beta-amyloid deposits. In spite of the ApoE immunoreactivity associated with NFTs, in PSP the ApoE allele frequency was comparable with that of age-matched normal controls. This suggests that in Alzheimer's disease the increased frequency of ApoE epsilon 4 does not influence neurofibrillary degeneration, but is probably linked to beta-amyloid deposition.
Tabaton
M
M
Institute of Neurology, University of Genoa, Italy.
Rolleri
M
M
Masturzo
P
P
Cammarata
S
S
Angelini
G
G
Hansen
L A
LA
Saitoh
T
T
Petersen
R B
RB
Perry
G
G
Richey
P
P
D000483:Alleles; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000473:pathology; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E