title: Synergistic effects of traumatic head injury and apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 allele increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but cerebral deposition of beta-amyloid with age, a genetic mutation, or head injury may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. We examined the risks of AD associated with traumatic head injury and apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 in 236 community-dwelling elderly persons. A 10-fold increase in the risk of AD was associated with both apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 and a history of traumatic head injury, compared with a two-fold increase in risk with apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 alone. Head injury in the absence of an apolipoprotein-epsilon 4 allele did not increase risk. These data imply that the biological effects of head injury may increase the risk of AD, but only through a synergistic relationship with apolipoprotein-epsilon 4.
authors.affiliation: Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayeux
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ottman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maestre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ngai
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tycko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shelanski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D005819:Genetic Markers; D004247:DNA