Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele, the major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, is also involved in the severity of multiple sclerosis

Allelic variants of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are known to influence the course of Alzheimer's disease. Although there were no significant diff erences in APOE allele frequencies in multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with controls, we explore in this study the relationship of APOE genotype with the disease severity. In 100 MS French patients, age of onset is significan tly higher (35.8 years, vs. 28.8 years) in patients bearing the APOE epsilo n 4 allele, compared with epsilon 4(-) patients; the epsilon 4 allele was a lso found to be less common (chi(2) = 4.28) in patients with the moderate f orm of MS. It is possible that patients possessing the epsilon 4 allele mig ht have a reduced capacity for neuronal remodeling after MS relapses.