APOE ε4 influences the manifestation of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down's syndrome

Abstract

BackgroundRecent studies of the relationship between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down's syndrome have revealed inconsistent results.AimsTo assess the role of the APOE gene in the manifestation of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down's syndrome.MethodWe studied the APOE genotypes of 24 adults with dementia and 33 non-demented adults with Down's syndrome over 35 years of age, and an additional group of 164 non-learning disabled adults. We also carried out a meta-analysis of all previously published studies of association between APOE and Down's syndrome, incorporating the current data.ResultsWe observed a non-significant excess of APOE ε4 and a reduction of ε2 in adults with dementia compared with non-demented adults with Down's syndrome in our sample. However, meta-analysis showed a significantly higher frequency of ε4 in adults with dementia compared with non-demented adults with Down's syndrome (odds ratio=2.02, 95% CI 1.33–3.07, P=0.001), but no significant reduction in the frequency of ε2.ConclusionsThe APOE ε4 allele acts as a risk factor for the age-specific manifestation of Alzheimer's disease in people with Down's syndrome.