INCREASED APOLIPOPROTEIN E4 ALLELE FREQUENCY IS ASSOCIATED WITH VASCULAR DEMENTIA IN THE HUNGARIAN POPULATION

Introduction - The regulatory role of apolipoprotein E in lipid transp ort and metabolism was utilized to investigate the allelic association between the apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) allele and vascular dementia (V D) in a selected sample of Hungarian patients with multiple deep subco rtical infarcts and leukoaraiosis. Material and methods - Thirty-four Caucasian VD cases and 79 healthy control probands were involved in th is study according to the criteria of ICD-10 and NINDS-AIREN Internati onal Workshop Diagnostic Criteria. The genomic DNA was isolated from w hole blood and the apoE alleles were determined by polymerase chain re action. Results - The E2, E3 and E4 allele frequencies in the VD group were 5%, 76%, and 19%, respectively; and significant (P<0.03) differe nces were found in comparison with the data on the healthy controls (E 2, 6%; E3, 87%; E4, 8%). The apoE4 allele frequency was intermediate b etween HC and Alzheimer's dementia group (28%). Conclusion - These res ults indicate that the apoE4 allele could be a risk factor not only fo r certain primary degenerative, but also for vascular dementias.