Dissection and atherosclerosis of carotid arteries in the young: role of the apolipoprotein E polymorphism.
Twenty-seven young (<50 years old) patients with spontaneous carotid artery dissection in 11 cases and carotid atherosclerosis in 16 cases were evaluated to determine the apolipoprotein E polymorphism. At the DNA analysis the epsilon3/epsilon3 genotype was observed in all patients with dissection, in 13 of 16 (81.2%) patients with atherosclerosis and in 27 of 30 (90%) controls. Three of 16 (18.8%) patients with atherosclerosis and 3 of 30 (10%) controls presented with the epsilon4/epsilon3 genotype, and this difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, observation of the epsilon4/epsilon3 genotype was not significantly higher in patients with atherosclerosis compared with those with dissection. No homozygote epsilon4/epsilon4, epsilon2/epsilon2 or heterozygote epsilon2 genotype was observed. No correlation was found between the presence of the epsilon4/epsilon3 genotype and vascular risk factors. Therefore, the epsilon4 allele seems to be involved in carotid premature atherosclerosis development whereas it may appear to be protective for artery dissection occurrence. A larger sample size is needed to support this suggestion.
Orlandi
G
G
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. g.orlandi@neuro.med.unipi.it
Fanucchi
S
S
Mancuso
M
M
Gelli
A
A
Rocchi
A
A
Siciliano
G
G
Murri
L
L
D000328:Adult; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D004247:DNA