APOLIPOPROTEIN E4 GENOTYPE IS NOT A RISK FACTOR FOR SYSTEMIC AA AMYLOIDOSIS OR FAMILIAL AMYLOID POLYNEUROPATHY

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is present in the amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in acquired and hereditary systemic amyloidosis, and apoE genotype is an important risk factor for late onset AD. In order to determine whether it is also a risk factor for developing reactive systemic amyloid A protein (AA) amyloidosis or transthyretin (TTR) Met 30 familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), apoE genotype was determined in 32 patients with AA amyloid and 31 patients with FAP. Prevalence of the apoE epsilon 4 allele was not significantly different than in a normal population. There was also no correlation between apoE genotype and either the time from presentation of the underlying disease to the diagnosis of AA amyloid or the age of onset of symptoms in FAP These results suggest that apoE genotype does not affect susceptibility to or expression of AA amyloidosis or TTR Met 30 FAP.