BACKGROUND: Although an association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is established, the utility of APOE genotyping in the clinical diagnosis of AD is still under investigation. METHODS: Medical records of 89 patients with cognitive impairment and APOE genotype data underwent a retrospective review. RESULTS: Comparison of age, age at onset, education, Mini-Mental State Examination, months of follow-up, and family history of dementia did not reveal statistical difference among the patients with different APOE genotypes. The APOE ε4 carriers had a higher percentage of AD diagnoses after a median 16 months follow-up than non-APOE ε4 carriers. The APOE ε4 designation had a high sensitivity and high positive predictive value for the diagnosis of AD but a low negative predictive value and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The APOE genotyping may be helpful in diagnosing AD especially in patients presenting with atypical features or early age of onset of dementia.
BACKGROUND: Although an association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is established, the utility of APOE genotyping in the clinical diagnosis of AD is still under investigation. METHODS: Medical records of 89 patients with cognitive impairment and APOE genotype data underwent a retrospective review. RESULTS: Comparison of age, age at onset, education, Mini-Mental State Examination, months of follow-up, and family history of dementia did not reveal statistical difference among the patients with different APOE genotypes. The APOE ε4 carriers had a higher percentage of AD diagnoses after a median 16 months follow-up than non-APOE ε4 carriers. The APOE ε4 designation had a high sensitivity and high positive predictive value for the diagnosis of AD but a low negative predictive value and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The APOE genotyping may be helpful in diagnosing AD especially in patients presenting with atypical features or early age of onset of dementia.
Authors: Anthoula C Tsolaki; Magda Tsolaki; Niki Pandria; Eftychia Lazarou; Olymbia Gkatzima; Vasiliki Zilidou; Maria Karagianni; Zafiroula Iakovidou-Kritsi; Vasilios K Kimiskidis; Panagiotis D Bamidis Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-05-07 Impact factor: 5.428