title: Does APO epsilon4 correlate with MRI changes in Alzheimer's disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relation between APO E genotype and MRI white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease. The APO epsilon4 allele is correlated with amyloid angiopathy and other neuropathologies in Alzheimer's disease and could be associated with white matter changes. If so, there should be a dose effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  104 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria) in this Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre were studied. Patients received MRI and APO E genotyping by standardised protocols. Axial MRI was scored (modified Schelten's scale) for the presence and degree of white matter changes and atrophy in several regions by a neuroradiologist blinded to genotype. Total white matter and total atrophy scores were also generated. Data analysis included Pearson's correlation for regional and total imaging scores and analysis of variance (ANOVA) (or Kruskal-Wallis) and chi(2) for demographic and disease related variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  30 patients had no epsilon4, 53 patients were heterozygous, and 21 patients were homozygous. The three groups did not differ in sex distribution, age of onset, age at MRI, MMSE, clinical dementia rating, or modified Hachinski ischaemia scores. There were no significant correlations between total or regional white matter scores and APO E genotype (Pearson correlation).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No correlation between total or regional white matter scores and APO E genotype was found. The pathogenesis of white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease may be independent of APO E genotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 6550 Fannin Suite, 1801 Houston, TX 77030, USA. rdoody@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Doody
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Azher
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Haykal
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E