Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphisms and retinal vascular signs: the atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphisms and retinal microvascular signs.


METHODS
Population-based, cross-sectional study. Participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (n=10,036; aged 49-73 years) had retinal photographs taken in 1 randomly selected eye. Photographs were graded for presence of retinal microvascular signs using a standardized protocol; a computer-assisted method was used to measure retinal vessel diameter. DNA from blood samples was analyzed for common APOE alleles.


RESULTS
After adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and other covariates, APOE epsilon 4 was associated with nondiabetic retinopathy in white (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.6) and black (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.1) individuals. Other retinal microvascular signs were not strongly associated with APOE polymorphisms. Neither retinal arteriolar nor venular diameter was associated with APOE polymorphisms in white or black individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 was weakly associated with retinopathy in persons without diabetes. Other signs were less consistently associated with APOE polymorphisms.
Liew
Gerald
G
Centre for Vision Research, Univerisity of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Shankar
Anoop
A
Wang
Jie Jin
JJ
Klein
Ronald
R
Bray
Molly S
MS
Couper
David J
DJ
Sharrett
A Richey
AR
Wong
Tien Y
TY
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D053329:Apolipoprotein E2 / Q000235:genetics*; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3 / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D001741:Black or African American
D053329:Apolipoprotein E2; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4