Increased risk for frontotemporal dementia through interaction between taupolymorphisms and apolipoprotein E epsilon 4

The tau gene has an important role in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as path ogenic mutations have been found in hereditary forms of the disease. Furthe rmore, a certain extended tau haplotype has been shown to increase the risk for progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Parkinson's disease and, in interaction with the apolipoprotein E (apoE) epsilon4 alle le, Alzheimer's disease. By microsatellite analysis we investigated an intr onic tau polymorphism, in linkage disequilibrium with the extended tau hapl otype, in FTD patients (n = 36) and healthy controls (n = 39). No associati on between any of the tau alleles/genotypes and FTD was seen, but certain t au alleles and apoE epsilon4 interactively increased the risk of FTD (p = 0 .006). We thus propose that this extended tau haplotype in combination with apoE epsilon4 is a genetic risk factor for FTD. NeuroReport 12:905-909 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.