The effects of age, apolipoprotein E phenotype and gender on the concentration of amyloid-beta (A beta) 40, A beta 4242, apolipoprotein E and transthyretin in human cerebrospinal fluid.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether the concentrations of amyloid-beta (A beta) 40, A beta 42, apolipoprotein E (apoE) and transthyretin in the CSF of normal individuals, are linked to three factors which modulate the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD): chronological age, gender, and the presence of the apoE4 allele.


RESULTS
Proteins were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays except for transthyretin, which was assayed by radial immunodiffusion. The apoE phenotype was determined by isoelectric focusing. While the CSF levels of A beta 42, apoE, and transthyretin are reported to be reduced in AD, we found no relationship between age, gene, or apoE phenotype and the level of any of these proteins in the CSF of nondemented individuals. The concentration of A beta 40 was not modulated by gender or apoE phenotype, but did decline significantly with age.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the changes observed in the CSF of AD patients are specific to the disease itself rather than the known risk factors.
Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
S
S
Kunicki
J
J
Richardson
P D
PD
Mehta
K S
KS
Kim
E
E
Zorychta
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011228:Prealbumin; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)