Genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer disease.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Less than a decade ago, it was questioned as to whether or not genes were even involved in anything but rare early onset AD. Since that time, using a variety of genetic epidemiological and molecular biological techniques, four loci have been identified that play a role in the genetic susceptibility of AD. AD presents as a prototype of the power of genetic techniques in defining the etiology of a complex disease.
Duke University Medical Center, Division of Neurology, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
M A
MA
Pericak-Vance
J L
JL
Haines
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E