Increased apolipoprotein E4 allele frequency is associated with vascular dementia in the Hungarian population.
BACKGROUND
The regulatory role of apolipoprotein E in lipid transport and metabolism was utilized to investigate the allelic association between the apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) allele and vascular dementia (VD) in a selected sample of Hungarian patients with multiple deep subcortical infarcts and leukoaraiosis.


METHODS
Thirty-four Caucasian VD cases and 79 healthy control probands were involved in this study according to the criteria of ICD-10 and NINDS-AIREN International Workshop Diagnostic Criteria. The genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood and the apoE alleles were determined by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
The E2, E3 and E4 allele frequencies in the VD group were 5%, 76%, and 19%, respectively; and significant (P<0.03) differences were found in comparison with the data on the healthy controls (E2, 6%; E3, 87%; E4, 8%). The apoE4 allele frequency was intermediate between HC and Alzheimer's dementia group (28%).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the apoE4 allele could be a risk factor not only for certain primary degenerative, but also for vascular dementias.
Kálmán
J
J
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Albert Szent-Györgyi University Medical School, Szeged, Hungary.
Juhász
A
A
Császár
A
A
Kanka
A
A
Rimanóczy
A
A
Janka
Z
Z
Raskó
I
I
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E