title: The apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular diseases--an autopsy study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous studies have addressed the association between the apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular disease, but only a few reports are based on findings at autopsy. In the present retrospective study, we have used autopsy findings from a general hospital population to further investigate this issue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We collected information from 1522 consecutive autopsy reports (886 men, mean age 65.7 years; 636 women, mean age 69.7 years) conducted at Oslo University Hospital, Norway, in the period from 1996 to 2000. Cause of death and signs related to cardiovascular disease including the degree of atherosclerosis in the aorta and the coronary arteries, signs of myocardial infarction, heart weight, and signs of cerebrovascular disease were recorded. The patients were genotyped, and the apolipoprotein E allele frequencies (ɛ2, 8.0%; ɛ3, 72.6%; and ɛ4, 19.4%) were not statistically different from a group of healthy controls. Approximately 35% of the patients died from a cardiovascular disease. Genotypes differed significantly (P<.05), with more ɛ4-carriers (34.3% vs. 29.6%) and fewer ɛ2-carriers (11.8% vs. 13.9%) among patients who died from cardiovascular disease compared to those who died from other causes. A similar distribution of genotypes was seen in patients recorded with myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular disease. There was an association between the presence of ɛ4 and atherosclerosis in the aorta and coronary arteries, but this did not reach statistical significance. Among patients with signs of coronary heart disease, standardized heart weights were significantly higher in ɛ2-carriers compared to ɛ4-carriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present autopsy study suggests that the risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, is influenced by the apolipoprotein E polymorphism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital-Ullevål, Oslo, Norway. n.t.kumar@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Neena Theresa
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liestøl
authors.forename: Else Marit
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Løberg
authors.forename: Henrik Mikael
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Reims
authors.forename: Sverre-Henning
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Brorson
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maehlen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009929:Organ Size; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E