Apolipoprotein E genotyping and questionnaire-based assessment of lifestyle risk factors in dyslipidemic patients with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease: test development for clinical application

Abstract

The cholesterol-raising properties of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon-4 (ε-4) allele has been validated in the South African population. Mounting evidence supports the added value of APOE genotyping for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in dyslipidemic patients beyond its established role in the diagnosis of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to determine the potential benefits of combining AD family history with questionnaire-based lifestyle assessment to facilitate the clinical interpretation of APOE genotyping results. A total of 580 unrelated South African individuals prospectively enrolled in a chronic disease screening program incorporating a genetic component (2010-2015) was selected for inclusion in this study based on the presence (75) or absence (505) of AD family history. Biochemical assessment of their lipid profiles was performed according to standard laboratory protocols. All study participants were genotyped for the APOE ε-2/ε-3/ε-4 alleles using allele-specific TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction technology. In patients without a family history of AD, APOE genotype modified the relationship between alcohol intake and body mass index (p = 0.026), with a significant positive correlation noted between these parameters being limited to ε-4 allele carriers. APOE genotype also modified the association between alcohol intake and total serum cholesterol in patients with a positive family history of AD (p = 0.026). We demonstrated the benefits of a questionnaire-based approach for assessment of lifestyle risk factors to facilitate clinical interpretation of APOE genotyping results for targeted intervention in a genetic subgroup of dyslipidemic patients at increased risk for AD.

Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Cytokine Genes with Depression, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

“…It was also found that rs16944 and 1143623 of the IL1B gene were associated with both depression [18,[29][30][31] and BD [71]. The polymorphic variants of IL6, IL18, and TNFA were associated with depression [39,40,44,50,51] and SCZ [67,69,71,77].…”

Association between dementia parental family history and mid-life modifiable risk factors for dementia: a cross-sectional study using propensity score matching within the Lifelines cohort

“…For instance, Lückhoff et al did not find differences in BMI (objectively measured), TC, HDL, LDL, alcohol intake and smoking behaviour between middle-aged individuals with (n=75) and without (n=505) a self-reported family history of dementia (p>0.05). 30 van Exel et al found that middle-aged individuals with an objectively measured PFH of dementia (n=206) had more often hypertension and caregiver burden stress compared with their peers (n=200) (p<0.05). 28 However, no differences were found in high cholesterol, glucose levels and lifestyle-related risk factors such as smoking and physical activity (p>0.05).…”

“… 28 30 31 They found that family history of dementia was associated with both higher diastolic (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and depression, 28 31 while it was not associated with body mass index (BMI), serum lipid profiles (eg, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)), alcohol consumption and smoking behaviour. 30 However, previous studies did not take all currently known modifiable risk factors for dementia into account and included a relatively small sample of participants. Moreover, these findings might be a result of confounding bias.…”

Towards AI-Enabled Multimodal Diagnostics and Management of COVID-19 and Comorbidities in Resource-Limited Settings

“…As shown in Table 1, PSGT typically starts with an online questionnairebased health check including the assessment of body mass index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome features targeting dyslipidaemia associated with COVID-19 severity and comorbidities. Involvement of this NCD pathway known to be influenced by lifestyle and other environmental factors, which in turn may trigger genetic risk such as the APOE e4 allele identified in this case, should be addressed to prevent cumulative causal effects [17,18]. Vaccine-related adverse effects are typically linked to old age [19] and pre-existing obesity, diabetes, or significant allergies.…”