ARYLSULFATASE-A PSEUDODEFICIENCY IN VASCULAR DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

THE carrier rates of a genetic marker for arylsulphatase A pseudodefic iency (ASA-PD) were determined in three series of patients with vascul ar dementia (VaD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the first community- based sample, the 1524 + 95A-->G mutation, which is known to be associ ated with ASA-PD, was present in 35% of VaD cases and none of the AD c ases. In a second sample of cases drawn from a Dementia Register, the mutation rates were 18% (VaD) and 16% (AD). Brain DNA from a post-mort em sample revealed the ASA-PD mutation in 60% of VaD cases and 34% of AD cases. These rates are higher than previous studies of culturally s imilar populations and suggest that ASA-PD may be a risk factor for de mentia.