APOLIPOPROTEIN E4 GENOTYPE IS NOT A RISK FACTOR FOR SYSTEMIC AA AMYLOIDOSIS OR FAMILIAL AMYLOID POLYNEUROPATHY

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is present in the amyloid deposits in Alzheime r's disease (AD) and in acquired and hereditary systemic amyloidosis, and apoE genotype is an important risk factor for late onset AD. In or der to determine whether it is also a risk factor for developing react ive systemic amyloid A protein (AA) amyloidosis or transthyretin (TTR) Met 30 familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), apoE genotype was deter mined in 32 patients with AA amyloid and 31 patients with FAP. Prevale nce of the apoE epsilon 4 allele was not significantly different than in a normal population. There was also no correlation between apoE gen otype and either the time from presentation of the underlying disease to the diagnosis of AA amyloid or the age of onset of symptoms in FAP These results suggest that apoE genotype does not affect susceptibilit y to or expression of AA amyloidosis or TTR Met 30 FAP.