title: Decreased frequency of apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele from Northern to Southern Europe in Alzheimer's disease patients and centenarians.
abstract: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism was studied in 79 sporadic late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) patients, 125 unrelated caregivers or volunteers (19-80 years), and 67 centenarians from Apulia, Southern Italy. The frequency of apoE epsilon2 allele was higher in centenarians than in LOAD patients, while epsilon4 was lower. In middle-aged adults, the epsilon4 allele frequency was higher than in centenarians. The epsilon4 allele frequency was lower in healthy adults than in LOAD patients, while epsilon2 was higher. Compared with the allele frequencies of Northern and Central European countries, a geographic trend for epsilon3 and epsilon4 alleles in LOAD and middle-aged adults was observed. The frequency of epsilon3 increased from Northern to Southern Europe, while epsilon4 decreased significantly. In centenarians, epsilon2 showed a North-South increasing pattern, while epsilon4 was in opposite trend.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Center for Aging Brain, Memory Unit University of Bari Policlinico, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Solfrizzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mastroianni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Parigi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Colacicco
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capurso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capurso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E