Gender modulates the APOE ε4 effect in healthy older adults: convergent evidence from functional brain connectivity and spinal fluid tau levels.
We examined whether the effect of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on functional brain connectivity is modulated by gender in healthy older human adults. Our results confirm significantly decreased connectivity in the default mode network in healthy older APOE ε4 carriers compared with ε3 homozygotes. More important, further testing revealed a significant interaction between APOE genotype and gender in the precuneus, a major default mode hub. Female ε4 carriers showed significantly reduced default mode connectivity compared with either female ε3 homozygotes or male ε4 carriers, whereas male ε4 carriers differed minimally from male ε3 homozygotes. An additional analysis in an independent sample of healthy elderly using an independent marker of Alzheimer's disease, i.e., spinal fluid levels of tau, provided corresponding evidence for this gender-by-APOE interaction. Together, these results converge with previous work showing a higher prevalence of the ε4 allele among women with Alzheimer's disease and, critically, demonstrate that this interaction between APOE genotype and gender is detectable in the preclinical period.
Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. jeske@stanford.edu
Jessica S
JS
Damoiseaux
William W
WW
Seeley
Juan
J
Zhou
William R
WR
Shirer
Giovanni
G
Coppola
Anna
A
Karydas
Howard J
HJ
Rosen
Bruce L
BL
Miller
Joel H
JH
Kramer
Michael D
MD
Greicius
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005838:Genotype; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D016875:tau Proteins