Genetic risk factors and markers for Alzheimer's disease and/or depression in the VITA study.
OBJECTIVE
In ageing population, both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depression are common. Significant depressive symptoms are often co-morbid with cognitive impairment and dementia. In this study, we attempted to find various factors and markers for both AD and depression in a longitudinal cohort, the Vienna-Transdanube-Aging (VITA)-study.


METHODS
The VITA-Study consisted of 305 healthy subjects, 174 subjects with depression only, 55 subjects diagnosed with AD only and 72 subjects with depression as well as AD. Associations between AD and/or depression to gene polymorphisms APO E (epsilon4), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) 4G to A, serotonin-transporter gene promoter-length, dopamine-D4-receptor, ciliary-neurotrophic-factor-null mutation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (C270T) and to various known factors were analyzed.


RESULTS
AD and depression were significant associated. Significant risk factors found for AD were low education, low folic acid and depressive-symptoms, while for depression were low education and higher nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) consume. Moreover, the ChAT polymorphism associated significant to depression. Gender, education, and ChAT significantly associated with the combination AD and/or depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Such studies must be conducted cautiously, as co-morbidities and gene-environmental-social influences may sway the results dramatically. We found in the VITA-study significant association between depression and AD and between ChAT polymorphism and depression.
Grünblatt
Edna
E
Ludwig Boltzmann Society, L. Boltzmann Institute of Aging Research, Vienna, Austria. Gruenblatt_E@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
Zehetmayer
Sonja
S
Bartl
Jasmin
J
Löffler
Christiane
C
Wichart
Ildiko
I
Rainer
Michael K
MK
Jungwirth
Susanne
S
Bauer
Peter
P
Danielczyk
Walter
W
Tragl
Karl-Heinz
KH
Riederer
Peter
P
Fischer
Peter
P
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012737:Sex Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D005492:Folic Acid; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase