Apolipoprotein E type epsilon 4 allele frequency is increased in patients with schizophrenia.
Apolipoprotein E type epsilon 4 alleles are increased in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cortical Lewy body dementia, while the epsilon 2 allele has been associated as a protective factor against the development of dementia in AD. We have determined APOE genotype in schizophrenic patients coming to autopsy (age range 19-95 years). The allele frequencies in this group were: epsilon 2, 6.0%; epsilon 3, 67.9%; and epsilon 4, 26.2%. Three patients (14%) were homozygous for the epsilon 4 allele. Thus, schizophrenia is associated with an increased epsilon 4 allele frequency, as compared with controls (P = 0.01), that was indistinguishable from that found in either AD or Lewy body dementia. The increased epsilon 4 allele frequency was not associated with increased age of schizophrenia patient, indicating that it was not due to the co-existence of AD.
Harrington
C R
CR
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge Clinical School, UK. crh@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
Roth
M
M
Xuereb
J H
JH
McKenna
P J
PJ
Wischik
C M
CM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E