title: Low plasma ApoE levels are associated with smaller hippocampal size in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative cohort.
abstract: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is the strongest known genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the utility of plasma ApoE levels for assessing the severity of underlying neurodegenerative changes remains uncertain. Here, we examined cross-sectional associations between plasma ApoE levels and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging indices of the hippocampus from 541 participants [57 with normal cognition (NC), 375 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 109 with mild AD] who were enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Across the NC and MCI groups, lower plasma ApoE levels were significantly correlated with smaller hippocampal size, as measured by either hippocampal volume or hippocampal radial distance. These associations were driven primarily by findings from carriers of an APOE ε4 allele and are consistent with prior reports that lower plasma ApoE levels correlate with greater global cortical Pittsburgh Compound B retention. In this high-risk group, plasma ApoE levels may represent a peripheral marker of underlying AD neuropathology in nondemented elderly individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif., USA.
authors.forename: Edmond
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Kristy S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gylys
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Clifford R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: Leslie M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: John Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Trojanowski
authors.forename: Holly D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: Liana G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Apostolova
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000235:genetics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D015415:Biomarkers