title: Lack of association between interleukin-1alpha polymorphism and Alzheimer disease or vascular dementia.
abstract: Recently, a C/T polymorphism in the promoter region of the interleukin 1-alpha (IL-1alpha) gene (position -889) was reported to be associated with Alzheimer disease. In this study, the polymorphism of IL-1alpha was examined in patients with Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, and nondemented controls in a Chinese population in Taiwan. No difference was found in the IL-1alpha T allele frequency among the three groups. The predominant polymorphic allele ( approximately 90%) of IL-1alpha was the C allele. The APOE4 allele was overrepresented in the AD cohort. The presence of the APOE4 allele did not influence the IL-1alpha genotype or allele distribution. The prevalence of the IL-1alpha T allele, in particular the homozygous form, was lower than in whites and may account for the lack of association between IL-1alpha C/T polymorphism and Alzheimer disease among Chinese in Taiwan. The presence of the heterozygous IL-1alpha T allele cannot be used for distinguishing Alzheimer disease or vascular dementia from controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, and Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yu-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Pao-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Chingju
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hsueh-Meei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Liang-Jen
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chuo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1