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Genetic polymorphisms in older subjects with vascular or Alzheimer's dementia
Author(s) -
Zuliani G.,
Ble' A.,
Zanca R.,
Munari M. R.,
Zurlo A.,
Vavalle C.,
Atti A. R.,
Fellin R.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2001.103005304.x
Subject(s) - methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase , vascular dementia , paraoxonase , medicine , allele , dementia , alzheimer's disease , endocrinology , pathogenesis , allele frequency , apolipoprotein e , polymorphism (computer science) , vascular disease , angiotensin converting enzyme , biology , genetics , disease , gene , blood pressure , oxidative stress
Objectives – Paraoxonase, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and apo E gene polymorphisms were evaluated in older patients with vascular dementia (VD) or late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Material and methods – Sixty patients with VD, 45 patients with LOAD, and 54 non‐demented controls were compared. Results – No differences in the distribution of paraoxonase, ACE, and MTHFR polymorphisms were found. The overall frequency of apo E ε4 allele was “low”; ε4 allele was more frequent in LOAD (17.5%) and VD (13.3%) compared with controls (9.2%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion – Paraoxonase, ACE, and MTHFR polymorphisms were not associated with VD or LOAD; these common polymorphisms might have a marginal role in the pathogenesis of dementia in older subjects. In spite of a “low” frequency of the apo E ε4 allele in our sample, the frequency of ε4 allele was about double in LOAD compared with controls.