title: Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele frequency in vascular dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate whether possession of the epsilon4 allelic form of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene increases the risk of developing vascular dementia (VaD).
  
  
  METHODS
  APOE allele and genotype frequencies were determined by PCR in 89 patients with possible and probable VaD and compared with those in 97 patients with possible and probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) of similar age of disease onset and ethnic background, and with 766 control subjects drawn from the same geographical region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The APOE epsilon4 allele frequency in all 97 patients with possible and probable AD was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in control subjects. However, the APOE epsilon4 allele frequency in all 89 patients with possible and probable VaD was also significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in control subjects, but not significantly different from that in AD. The APOE epsilon4 allele frequency was similarly, and still significantly (p < 0.001), increased when only those patients with probable AD or probable VaD were considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possession of APOE epsilon4 allele increases the risk of VaD.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Greater Manchester Neurosciences Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Purandare
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardicre
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wren
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Payton
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pendleton
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horan
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: David M A
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E