Genetic polymorphisms in older subjects with vascular or Alzheimer's dementia

Objectives - Paraoxonase, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and apo E gene polymorphisms were evaluated in older patients with vascular dementia (VD) or late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Material and methods - Sixty patients with VD, 45 patients with LOAD, and 54 non-demented controls were compared. Results - No differences in the distribution of paraoxonase, ACE, and MTHFR polymorphisms were found. The overall frequency of apo E ε4 allele was "low"; ε4 allele was more frequent in LOAD (17.5%) and VD (13.3%) compared with controls (9.2%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion - Paraoxonase, ACE, and MTHFR polymorphisms were not associated with VD or LOAD; these common polymorphisms might have a marginal role in the pathogenesis of dementia in older subjects. In spite of a "low" frequency of the apo E ε4 allele in our sample, the frequency of ε4 allele was about double in LOAD compared with controls.