The fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene in labeled platelet membranes, an index of membrane fluidity, identifies a prominent subgroup of patients with Alzheimer's disease who manifest distinct clinical features. In a family study, the prevalence of this platelet membrane abnormality was 3.2 to 11.5 times higher in asymptomatic, first-degree relatives of probands with Alzheimer's disease than in neurologically healthy control subjects chosen without regard to family history of dementia. The pattern of the platelet membrane abnormality within families was consistent with that of a fully penetrant autosomal dominant trait. Thus, this abnormality of platelet membranes may be an inherited factor that is related to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
These results indicate that increased platelet membrane fluidity is not produced by the APOE epsilon4 allele. Instead, increased platelet membrane fluidity and the epsilon4 allele appear to make significant independent contributions to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease among the first-degree relatives of patients with this disorder. Moreover, the age ranges over which these risk factors operate appear to be different.
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