Apolipoprotein E genotyping in a sample of Colombian patients with Alzheimer's disease

Apolipoprotein E e4 (APOEe4) allele has been associated with an increased r isk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in diverse populations. Few studies have b een carried out in Hispano-Americans and results are inconclusive due to et hnic diversity. This study determined the frequency of APOE alleles in a gr oup of 61 Caucasian-Mestizos patients with probable AD, and 61 age- and sex -matched controls. APOEe4 frequency was 36.8% for patients, and 8.2% for co ntrols (P < 0.0001; OR 7.6). Genotype frequencies differ between the two gr oups (P < 0.0001). Genotype 3/3 was the most common. Frequency of genotypes 3/4, 4/4 and 2/4 were higher in patients than in the controls. Our results show a highly significant association of APOEe4 with AD, and implies the i mportance of APOEe4 as a risk factor in this population. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.