ApolipoproteinE gene polymorphism in frontotemporal dementia in Japan

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Introduction : Many previous reports have shown a relationship between the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some studies have also reported a relationship between ApoE epsilon 4 allele and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), while others have failed to show any such association. The relationship between the ApoE epsilon 4 allele and FTD thus remains controversial. As aresult, we analyzed the ApoE genotype in patients with FTD in Japan.Subjects and methods : We analyzed the ApoE genotypes in 30 patients with FTD,35 patients with AD and 31 normal subjects using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) according to the protocol of Hixson et al. and Wenham et al. The diagnosis was made clinically according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for AD and the Lund and Manchester Groups criteria for FTD.We determined the allelic frequencies for each group by counting the alleles and calculating the sample proportions. Group differences in the allelic frequencies were analyzed by the chi^2 test.Results : The frequencies of the ApoE epsilon 4 allele in FTD,AD and the control were 7/60 (11.7%), 23/70 (32.8%) and 2-62 (3.2%), respectively. The chi^2 test showed no significant difference in the ApoE epsilon 4 allele frequency between FTD and the control (p=0.0746), while that the same test did show a significant difference in the ApoE epsilon 4 allele frequency between FTD and AD (p=0.0070).Conclusion : These results indicate that no association apparently exists between the ApoE epsilon 4 allele and FTD in Japan.