title: Polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in gerontopsychiatric patients.
abstract: Two recently described polymorphisms in the promoter region of the apolipoprotein E (APOE), the -491A/T and Th1/E47csT/G polymorphism, have been suggested to be associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) independent from the APOE epsilon 4 carrier status. We studied the association between the APOE epsilon 4 polymorphism and the -491A/T and Th1E47csT/G polymorphisms in a sample of 118 healthy, non-demented controls and 239 consecutively recruited gerontopsychiatric patients diagnosed as: Alzheimer's disease (N = 89), age mild cognitive impairment (N = 32), memory complainers without any cognitive deficit (N = 54) and depression/other psychiatric disorders (N = 64), to test whether the investigated polymorphisms have a high enough selectivity and specificity to distinguish between the different gerontopsychiatric disorders or to differentiate AD genetically from other forms of dementia, respectively. Also a possible association with the APOE epsilon 4 polymorphism was examined. We found a statistically significant association between the APOE epsilon 4 allele and Alzheimer's disease (p = 0.0001) and age associated memory impairment (p = 0.006). Our study failed to show an association between the promoter polymorphisms -491A/T and Th1E47csT/G in the APOE gene and gerontopsychiatric disorders either alone or in relationship to the APOE epsilon 4 polymorphism. However, if we combine our results with three previous published positive reports there seems to be an association between the -491A/T polymorphism and AD, though its size is less than found in the original publication.
authors: Psychiatric Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany. Peter.Zill@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Zill
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Engel
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Hampel
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Behrens
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Bürger
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Padberg
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Stübner
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Möller
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ackenheil
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Bondy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E