title: ApoE epsilon4 genotype and the age at onset of temporal lobe epilepsy: a case-control study and meta-analysis.
abstract: In order to investigate the role of ApoE epsilon4 as a modifier of the age at onset of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), we performed a molecular epidemiology study in 78 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis. Genotyping was done by a PCR-RFLP assay. In order to better estimate the role of this variant as a modifier of the age at onset, we also performed a systematic review of the literature. We included our results into a meta-analysis along with data available from seven published studies with 728 patients that looked into the role of ApoE epsilon4 in TLE. We found that ApoE epsilon4 carriers in our population had a non-significant earlier age of epilepsy onset than non-carriers. The meta-analysis confirmed this finding, showing that ApoE epsilon4 carriers had epilepsy onset almost 4 years earlier than non-carriers (mean difference 5.15 years; CI 95% 2.08-6.22; p=0.001). In conclusion, the ApoE epsilon4 isoform is a genetic factor that might influence the age at onset of TLE.
authors.affiliation: Consultorio de Neurogenética, Centro de Epilepsia, Centro Universitario de Neurología, Hospital JM Ramos Mejia, IBCN Eduardo de Robertis, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. marcelokauffman@marcelokauffman.info
authors.forename: Marcelo Andrés
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kauffman
authors.forename: Damián
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Consalvo
authors.forename: Dolores Gonzalez
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Moron
authors.forename: Virginia Pujol
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Lereis
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kochen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000483:Alleles; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4