The Fas promoter polymorphism at position -670 is not associated with late-onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease.
The Fas antigen is a cell surface receptor-mediating cell apoptosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that Fas-associated apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, the Fas gene is located on chromosome 10q24.1, a region of linkage to late-onset AD (LOAD). These two criteria, pathobiological and positional, make the Fas antigen an interesting candidate for an association with AD. We performed a case-control association study between the common A/G polymorphism at position -670 in the Fas gene (TNFSRF6) promoter and sporadic AD in Jews, investigating whether this locus acts as a risk factor or whether it has a modifying effect. An association has recently been detected by Feuk et al. in the Scottish population between this locus and the risk of early-onset AD (EOAD), but not of LOAD. In agreement with Feuk et al., we found no association between this locus and the risk of LOAD (n = 86). However, in our small sample of patients with EOAD (n = 19), no association was found either. No interactive effect was found between the Fas promoter polymorphism at position -670 and the known risk factor of LOAD, apolipoprotein E epsilon4, and no association was detected with disease progression. These findings show no evidence for an association between the Fas promoter polymorphism at position -670 and AD in our population.
Rosenmann
Hanna
H
Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. rosenman@hadassah.org.il
Meiner
Zeev
Z
Kahana
Esther
E
Aladjem
Zoja
Z
Friedman
Gideon
G
Ben-Yehuda
Arie
A
Grenader
Tal
T
Wertman
Eli
E
Abramsky
Oded
O
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics*
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D019014:fas Receptor; D004247:DNA