Association study of gene polymorphisms involved in vascular alterations in elderly hypertensives with subjective memory complaints.
BACKGROUND
We have recently shown that vascular abnormalities are associated with cognitive impairment as well as with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in elderly hypertensive patients presenting with subjective memory complaints (SMC), a population at high risk of developing dementia. The aim of the present study was to identify genetic variants associated with the degree of cognitive impairment and the severity of WMH in the same study population, focusing on genes involved in vascular alterations.


METHODS
50 gene polymorphisms known to be associated with vascular alterations (blood pressure regulation, lipid and homocysteine metabolism, thrombosis and inflammation) were genotyped using a multilocus genotyping assay in 369 elderly treated hypertensive patients >60 years of age and presenting with SMC but no dementia. The patients underwent a combination of neuropsychological tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging with semiquantification of WMH.


RESULTS
None of the tested polymorphisms were found to be associated with age- and gender-adjusted memory score, visual capacity, body-mass-index-adjusted verbal fluency score or the age-adjusted WMH Fazekas score.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the associations between arterial factors and cognitive decline or WMH are not genetically driven by the genes we investigated, at least at this early stage of cognitive decline.
Nancy University Hospital and Inserm Clinical Investigation Center, CIC9501, Nancy, France.
Ghassan
G
Watfa
Jean Brice
JB
Marteau
Patrick
P
Rossignol
Anna
A
Kearney-Schwartz
Renaud
R
Fay
Serge
S
Bracard
Jacques
J
Felblinger
Jean-Marc
JM
Boivin
Patrick
P
Lacolley
Sophie
S
Visvikis-Siest
Athanase
A
Benetos
Faïez
F
Zannad
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000235:genetics
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D006710:Homocysteine