Case-control study of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genetic variability in Alzheimer's disease.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major regulator of angiogenesis and blood vessel function. Recent evidence indicates that VEGF facilitates memory and learning through stimulating angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the rat hippocampal dendate gyrus. Abnormal regulation of VEGF expression has been reported in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and motoneuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with low VEGF-producing polymorphisms (-2578 allele A and -634 allele G) conferring increased susceptibility for the development of the disorders. We tested whether these polymorphisms downregulating expression of VEGF might increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). So, we performed a case-control study in 362 Spanish AD patients and 428 healthy controls. The current study does not demonstrate an association between VEGF (-2578) and VEGF (-634) genotypes or haplotypes and AD.
Service of Neurology, University Hospital "Marqués de Valdecilla" (University of Cantabria), 39008 Santander, Spain.
Ignacio
I
Mateo
Javier
J
Llorca
Jon
J
Infante
Eloy
E
Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Coro
C
Sánchez-Quintana
Pascual
P
Sánchez-Juan
José
J
Berciano
Onofre
O
Combarros
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013030:Spain; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A