Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (6): 653-660.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.130117

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APOE and APOC1 gene polymorphisms are associated with cognitive impairment progression in Chinese patients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

Qin Zhou 1, 2, Dantao Peng 1, Xinrui Yuan 1, Zeping Lv 2, Shenghang Pang 2, Wenyu Jiang 2, Chuyu Yang 2, Xiaohong Shi 1, Guofang Pang 2, Yige Yang 1, Haiqun Xie 2, Wandong Zhang 3, Caiyou Hu 2, Ze Yang 1   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
    2 Department of Neurology, Jiangbin Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
    3 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
  • Received:2014-02-13 Online:2014-03-22 Published:2014-03-22
  • Contact: Caiyou Hu, Department of Neurology, Jiangbin Hospital, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. cyhu.hua@163.com; Wandong Zhang, Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. wandong.zhang@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca; Ze Yang, Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital＆ Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing 100730, China. yixueshengzhouqin@163.com.
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81370445, 81061120527, 81241082; Major Funding from Beijing Hospital, No. BJ-2010-30; Key Project of Clinical Disciplines at the Subordinate Hospital, Ministry of Health, No. 10120101; National Department Public Benefit Research Foundation by the Ministry of Health, No. 201302008; 12th 5-year National Program from Ministry of Scientific Technology, No. 2012BAI10B01; Science and Technology Development Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, No. 1355005-6-2; and Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), No. 109606.

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Abstract:

Current evidence shows that apolipoprotein E (APOE), apolipoprotein CI (APOC1) and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) variations are related to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. However, it remains unclear if genetic polymorphisms in these genes are associated with cognitive decline in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease patients. We performed a 30-month longitudinal cohort study to investigate the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and APOE, APOC1, and LRP. In this study, 78 Chinese Han patients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease were recruited form Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China. APOE, APOC1, and LRP genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale were used to assess patients’ cognitive function. After a 30-month follow-up period, we found a significant reduction in Mini-Mental State Examination total score, a higher proportion of patients fulfilling cognitive impairment progression criteria, and a higher proportion of APOC1 H2 carriers in APOE ε4 carriers compared with non-carriers. In addition, the APOE ε4 allele frequency was significantly higher in the cognitive impairment progression group compared with the non-cognitive impairment progression group. In conclusion, APOE ε4 plays an important role in augmenting cognitive decline, and APOC1 H2 may act synergistically with APOE ε4 in increasing the risk of cognitive decline in Chinese patients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Key words: nerve degeneration, cognitive disorders, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, polymorphism, apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein CI, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein, NSFC grant, neural regeneration