Polymorphism C in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) in questionable dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
The promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) shows a 22-bp tandem repeat polymorphism, indicated as polymorphism C, that has been associated to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, memory impairment, and anxiety. Less clear are data regarding its association with Alzheimer's disease (AD). No data were reported regarding its association with questionable dementia (QD). In this study we investigate for polymorphism C in the SLC6A4 gene 302 elderly subjects with a clinical diagnosis of AD (n=105), QD (n=88) and no cognitive impairment (n=114) attending a geriatric ward. A community-dwelling sample of 390 healthy subjects was also included in the analysis. A significant higher prevalence of the C16/C16 genotype in AD than in QD was observed (37.14% vs. 3%; p=0.041, OR 2.001, 95%CI 1.018-4.024), while no differences in the C16/C14 and C14/C14 genotypes as well as in the estimated allele frequencies were found. No further differences among the three groups of subjects were found, also when they were compared with the community-dwelling sample. These findings suggest that SLC6A4 gene variation may have only a minor role, if any, in AD or QD.
Seripa
Davide
D
Geriatric Unit & Gerontology-Geriatrics Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy. dseripa@operapadrepio.it
Franceschi
Marilisa
M
D'Onofrio
Grazia
G
Panza
Francesco
F
Cascavilla
Leandro
L
Paris
Francesco
F
Placentino
Giuliana
G
Matera
Maria Giovanna
MG
Solfrizzi
Vincenzo
V
Pilotto
Alberto
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins