The k variant of the butyrylcholinesterase gene is associated with reduced phosphorylation of tau in dementia patients.
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.
Ballard
Clive
C
Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guys Campus, Kings College London, London, UK.
Morris
Christopher
C
Kalaria
Rajesh
R
McKeith
Ian
I
Perry
Robert
R
Perry
Elaine
E
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*
D016875:tau Proteins; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase