Study suggests two copies of APOE4 gene behind up to 20% of Alzheimer’s cases

Study suggests two copies of APOE4 gene behind up to 20% of Alzheimer’s cases



Editors’ notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X’s
editorial process
and policies.
Editors have highlighted
the following attributes while ensuring the content’s credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress

paper published in the journal Nature Medicine, the group studied data from the brains of thousands of deceased AD patients and biomarkers in an additional 10,000 living patients.

Qin Xu, Zherui Liang and Yadong Huan, with the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue outlining the work done by the team on this new effort.

AD is a specific type of dementia that involves mental deterioration due to gradual degeneration of the brain. Prior research has found that there are two main kinds of AD; genetic forms and late onset forms. Prior research has also shown that homozygous APOE4 (having two copies) is one of the for the genetic kind of the .

In this new study, the research team has found evidence suggesting that AD due to homozygous APOE4 genes should be classified as a third general type of the disease, rather than as a risk factor.

The work by the team involved analyzing pathological data obtained from 3,300 AD patients and data for an additional 10,000 living AD patients collected from multiple . They found that 800 of the people included in the study had homozygous APOE4 genes. They also found that virtually all of them had high levels of amyloid levels in their brain fluid by the age of 65—a finding, they suggest, that indicates the disease was fully penetrant in those patients.

They also found that the age at which symptoms became apparent was consistent among those with homozygous APOE4 genes. And, biomarkers for those with the genes evolved into predictable patterns that were very similar across patients.

Their findings suggest that between 15% and 20% of AD cases may likely be attributable to patients having homozygous APOE4 genes. Taken together, the research team says the evidence indicates that AD cases involving homozygous APOE4 genes should be considered a unique type of AD, and not just a risk factor.

More information:
Juan Fortea et al, APOE4 homozygozity represents a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02931-w

Qin Xu et al, APOE4 homozygosity is a new genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02923-w

© 2024 Science X Network

Citation:
Study suggests two copies of APOE4 gene behind up to 20% of Alzheimer’s cases (2024, May 12)
retrieved 12 May 2024
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-apoe4-gene-alzheimer-cases.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.




Researchers show genetic variant common among Black Americans contributes to large cardiovascular disease burden

8 hours ago

First person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant dies nearly 2 months later

8 hours ago

New vaccine could protect against coronaviruses that haven’t even emerged yet

May 11, 2024

Study links organization of neurotypical brains to genes involved in autism and schizophrenia

May 11, 2024

Study traces an infectious language epidemic

May 11, 2024

Visual experiences unique to early infancy provide building blocks of human vision, study finds

May 10, 2024

Study points to personalized treatment opportunities for glioblastoma

May 10, 2024

Research team introduces new tool to boost battle against childhood undernutrition

May 10, 2024

How herpes hijacks a ride into cells

May 10, 2024

How the brain is flexible enough for a complex world, without being thrown into chaos

May 10, 2024

Read More

Zaļā Josta - Reklāma