Genetic association studies between dementia of the Alzheimer's type and three receptors for apolipoprotein E in a Caucasian population.
The epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (ApoE) is associated with an increased risk for sporadic and some familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) but the precise mechanism of pathogenesis is unknown. ApoE is a ligand for at least three receptors in the central nervous system, low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R), very low density lipoprotein receptor VLDL-R and low density lipoprotein-like receptor (LRP). We have tested for association between these receptors and dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) in a clinically based sample of Caucasian cases and age-matched controls. In contrast to findings in a Japanese cohort we detected no association between DAT and a polymorphism in the VLDL-R gene. No association was detected with the LDL-R gene. We observed a possible association between the 87 allele of a polymorphism within the LRP gene and DAT which remained significant after correction for multiple testing. When the effects of known risk factors for AD such as ApoE epsilon 4 were applied, the effect of LRP no longer reached conventional levels of statistical significance. Nevertheless, LRP is a plausible candidate gene and we may be observing a minor risk factor that will require further examination in other large independent samples to assess whether it truly modifies susceptibility to DAT.
Lendon
C L
CL
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. lendon@icarus.wustl.edu
Talbot
C J
CJ
Craddock
N J
NJ
Han
S W
SW
Wragg
M
M
Morris
J C
JC
Goate
A M
AM
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010507:Periodicity; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
D001053:Apolipoproteins; D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein