APOE-epsilon4 polymorphism and cognitive deficit among the elderly population of Fernando de Noronha.
BACKGROUND
Polymorphism of the gene for apolipoprotein E (APOE) is an important risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. The epsilon4 allele of the APOE gene has been linked with a number of neuropsychiatric illnesses, and also with stress and depression among geriatric populations.


OBJECTIVE
To identify APOE-epsilon4 polymorphism and correlate this with cognitive deficit among the elderly population of the island of Fernando de Noronha.


METHODS
Neuropsychiatric tests (mini-mental state examination, verbal fluency test and clock drawing test) were applied to 52 elderly people without Alzheimer's disease. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and genotyping of APOE was done by the PCR-RFLP method.


RESULTS
87% of the elderly population (mean age 69.6+/-7.0) had cognitive deficit.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed frequency of the epsilon4 allele was 10%, but the correlation between the presence of epsilon4 and cognitive deficit in this population was not statistically significant.
Garcia
Anália Nusya
AN
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Silva
Helker Albuquerque da
HA
Silva
Renan Carlos
RC
Leal
Eliane Maria Medeiros
EM
Rodrigues
Lorena
L
Silva
Vanessa Cavalcante da
VC
Dellalibera
Edileine
E
Freitas
Elizabete Malaquias
EM
Ataíde
Luiz
L
Muniz
Maria Tereza Cartaxo
MT
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4