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Abstract
Background: Variation in APOE genotype is a determinant of Alzheimer disease (AD), but the risk associated with variation in plasma apoE levels has yet to be determined. Here, we studied offspring with and without a parental history of AD to identify the effect of plasma apoE levels at middle age on the risk of late-onset AD.
Methods: Some 203 offspring from 92 families with a parental history of AD were compared with 197 offspring from 97 families without a parental history of AD. APOE genotypes and plasma apoE levels were assessed in all offspring. Difference in plasma apoE level between subjects with and without a parental history of AD was calculated using robust linear regression, both stratified and adjusted for APOE genotype.
Results: Offspring with a parental history of AD were more likely to be an APOE ε4 allele carrier (46% vs 21%, p < 0.001) than offspring without such a parental history. Mean plasma apoE levels strongly decreased from ε2 to ε3ε3 to ε4 carriers (p < 0.001). Offspring with a parental history of AD had lower plasma apoE levels than subjects without such a history, both in analyses adjusted for APOE genotype (difference: −0.21 mg/dL, p = 0.02) and when using standardized Z scores, when stratified for APOE genotype (difference: −0.22, p = 0.009).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that lower plasma apoE levels in middle age could be a risk factor for Alzheimer disease in old age, independent of APOE genotype.
Glossary
- AD=
- Alzheimer disease;
- BMI=
- body mass index;
- CI=
- confidence interval;
- CVD=
- cardiovascular disease;
- EOAD=
- early-onset Alzheimer disease;
- HDL=
- high-density lipoprotein;
- LDL=
- low-density lipoprotein;
- LOAD=
- late-onset Alzheimer disease;
- MMSE=
- Mini-Mental State Examination;
- VaD=
- vascular dementia.
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