Influence of apolipoprotein E genotype on cerebral amyloid angiopathy in the elderly

Background and Purpose The inheritance of the epsilon 4 allele of the apoliprotein E gene (APOE) is associated with increased risk of developing dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). We have investigated whether the APOE genotype influences the severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in elderly individuals with or without DAT. Methods From a consecutive autopsy series, we studied 88 patients (85+/-8.1 years) without degenerative disorders other than DAT. The percentages of amyloid-laden vessels in the occipital lobes were calculated and compared between APOE genotypes. Results For epsilon 3/3 and epsilon 3/4 genotypes, there was a trend toward increased CAA in epsilon 3/4 individuals for non-DAT and coversely in epsilon 3/3 individuals for DAT patients, but these did not achieve significance. Conclusions The present study suggests that the epsilon 4 allele is not a strong risk factor for CAA in elderly people.