Association between Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphism and Alzheimer's Disease in an Iranian Population: A Meta-Analysis

AbstractThe development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been strongly linked to the apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism. A number studies have reported that theAPOEε4 allele is a genetic risk factor for developing AD, whereas theAPOEε2 andAPOEε3 alleles are considered to be neutral or even protective; however, there are conflicting data about these relationships in certain ethnic populations. Several meta-analyses have been performed to reduce the heterogeneity of results from different studies and estimate the real association in speci fic ethnicities. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between theAPOE polymorphism and AD in an Iranian population. Our results showed a higher incidence of AD among individuals carrying theAPOEε4 allele (OR = 4.81, 95% CI: 3.28–7.05), more notably in those with theAPOEε4/e4 genotype (OR = 7.47, 95% CI: 2.35–23.73), while carrying theAPOEε3 allele was demonstrated to have a protective effect (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.30–0.54). The association between theAPOEε2 allele and AD was not statically significant. However, further studies focusing on other parameters such as age, sex and environmental conditions are needed to reveal the true association between theAPOE polymorphism and AD.
Source: Journal of Molecular Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research