The frequency of apolipoprotein E4 allele is not increased in patients with probable vascular dementia.

We used the NINDS-AIREN criteria to diagnose vascular dementia (VD), and compared apolipoprotein E (apoE) allele frequencies and apoE concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between patients with possible (n = 19) and probable (n = 33) VD and controls (n = 105). There was no difference in apoE4 frequency between patients with probable VD and controls. Serum and CSF apoE concentrations did not differ between VD patients and controls. Our results suggest that apoE plays no role in the development of VD.