Serum Level of Apolipoprotein E and its gene polymorphism in Iraq Alzheimer Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a circulating lipoprotein which governs lipid metabolism in the body. It is considered a serious genetic determinant of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective: The main goal of this study was to study any association between ApoE polymorphism with cholesterol and other lipids in Alzheimer patients in Bagdad, Iraq.

Methods: In this case-control study, 75 male patients with average age of 65 years from Baghdad medical city in Iraq and 50 healthy males as controls were recruited. Serum lipid level was tested enzymatically and DNA from all study participants was extracted to detect ApoE polymorphism using PCR.

Results: The cholesterol level was found significantly increased. Similar results were observed with the levels of triglycerides in patients i.e. 418.43±11.95mg/dl. Furthermore, data revealed non-significant difference in the genotypic and allelic frequencies of the ApoE gene/ rs13333144 SNP in patients and controls. Also, both patients and controls showed a strong correlation between ApoE genotype and cholesterol levels. In addition, there was a lower level of apolipoprotein in the patient group as compared to the control group. Thus, the ApoE gene might play an important role in the development of AD in Iraqi patients, hence, studies investigating lipid levels and the risk of Alzheimer's disease should take ApoE status into account.