title: Apolipoprotein(a) null phenotype is related to a delayed age at onset of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] is a highly polymorphic glycoprotein which has been suggested to play a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels and the differential expression of apo(a) isoforms were analyzed in 73 sporadic AD patients compared with 73 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The distribution of apo(a) isoforms and Lp(a) concentrations were similar in the two groups. However, we observed that AD patients with no apo(a) isoform from immunoblots (subjects with the 'null phenotype') had a mean age at onset of 76.8+/-8.8 versus 66.9+/-9.6 years of those who expressed at least one apo(a) band (P = 0.010). Multivariate analysis showed that this effect was independent of apolipoproteinE epsilon4 allele. We conclude that the expression of at least one apo(a) isoform may interact with other pathogenic mechanisms involved in controlling the age at onset of AD.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Piazzale Golgi 2, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emanuele
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peros
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomaino
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feudatari
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maletta
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montagna
authors.forename: Amalia C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geroldi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D053241:Apoprotein(a); D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D020033:Protein Isoforms; D053241:Apoprotein(a)