ApoE genotype and family history in patients with dementia and cognitively intact spousal controls.
OBJECTIVE
To test that a positive family history and ApoE e4 genotype are prevalent among dementia patients with onset before 70 years of age compared with healthy spousal controls.


METHODS
A total of 210 patients with dementia and 82 spousal control participants. Neuropsychiatric examination, Consortium to establish a registry on Alzheimer's disease test battery, Clock-drawing Test, and ApoE genotyping were performed in patients and controls.


RESULTS
Of the 131 patients with Alzheimer dementia, 25 were homozygous for Apo e4. Among dementia patients with a positive family history (n = 83), homozygosity for the Apo e4 genotype was found in 19 (22.9%). A positive family history was highest among Apo e4 homozygous Alzheimer dementia patients (72.0%) and lowest among the cognitively normal spousal controls (9.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
In our sample of patients with Alzheimer dementia, approximately 3 of 4 (72.0%) were homozygous for the genotype Apo e4 when they had a positive family history.
Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, School of Medicine, Regensburg, Germany. maria.zintl@web.de
Maria
M
Zintl
Gerd
G
Schmitz
Göran
G
Hajak
Hans-Hermann
HH
Klünemann
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D053329:Apolipoprotein E2 / Q000235:genetics; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3 / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018454:Spouses
D053329:Apolipoprotein E2; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E