Association between small apolipoprotein(a) isoforms and frontotemporal dementia in humans.
Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] is a genetically polymorphic glycoprotein that has several similarities to apolipoprotein E. However, its role as a risk factor for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) remains to be elucidated. We therefore investigated the effect of an apo(a) polymorphism on the incidence of FTD in a sample of Caucasian Italian patients. From the entire group of FTD patients (n=54), 55.6% of the subjects had at least one apo(a) low molecular weight (MW) isoform, compared to 29.9% of non-demented controls (n=77). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (odds ratio 2.93, 95% confidence interval 1.42-6.06, P=0.003). The FTD group was further divided into sporadic (n=26) and familial (n=28) cases. Even after such dichotomization, both sporadic and familial FTD patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of low MW apo(a) isoforms than the cognitively healthy controls (P=0.011 and P=0.025, respectively). Our data suggest a role of apo(a) phenotypes of low MW in mediating susceptibility to FTD.
Emanuele
Enzo
E
Molecular Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Piazzale Golgi 2, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Peros
Emmanouil
E
Tomaino
Carmine
C
Feudatari
Enrica
E
Bernardi
Livia
L
Binetti
Giuliano
G
Maletta
Raffaele
R
Micieli
Giuseppe
G
Bruni
Amalia Cecilia
AC
Geroldi
Diego
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001054:Apolipoproteins A; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D020033:Protein Isoforms