title: The k variant of the butyrylcholinesterase gene is associated with reduced phosphorylation of tau in dementia patients.
abstract: Accumulating evidence suggests that butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) plays an important role in the progression of cognitive deficits and Alzheimer-type pathology in dementia patients. We examined the relationship between the K variant of BuChE and the severity of deposits of amyloid (Abeta(1-42)) and phosphorylated tau in the temporal cortex (BA36) of 30 prospectively studied autopsy-diagnosed dementia (Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) patients. There was 42% less phosphorylated tau in BA36 in cases with > or =1 K compared with those with wild-type BuChE alleles (t = 2.2, p = 0.039), but no difference in the extent of Abeta(1-42) deposition. BuChE may play this role in the phosphorylation of tau, relevant to therapeutic inhibition of the enzyme.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guys Campus, Kings College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalaria
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McKeith
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase