Apolipoprotein E alleles in nonagenarian subjects in the Belfast Elderly Longitudinal Free-living Ageing Study (BELFAST)

The ApoE gene has three alleles coding for the proteins apoE2, apoE3 and ap oE4. E4 has been reported to be associated with hypercholesteraemia, ischae mic heart disease. age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. C onversely, the E2 allele has been associated with longevity in French cente narians and their siblings. In this Study, we have assessed any shift in th e ApoE genotypes in nonagenarian subjects from Belfast where there is a hig h intrinsic incidence of cardiovascular disease. ApoE phenotypes were deter mined by electrofocusing and immunoblotting in 114 Senieur-approximated Sub jects > 90 years old and compared with 2071 Subjects, 30-65 years of age, r ecruited from the same geographical area by the MONItoring of CArdiovascula r trends study group in Belfast (MONICA). The E4 allele was reduced in the nonagenarian group (X-2 = 11.1 P = 0.0006), the E3 unchanged and E2 frequen cy was increased (X-2 = 4.0 P = 0.047). These results Suggest that longevit y is negatively associated with the E4 allele and may be associated with ca rriage of E2. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.