APOE genotypes in African American female multiple sclerosis patients

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 414; no. 1; pp. 51 - 56
• Main Authors: Huang, R., Hughes, M., Mobley, S., Lanham, I., Poduslo, S.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 27.02.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; African American; African Americans - ethnology; African Americans - genetics; African Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Age of Onset; APOE genotyping; Apolipoprotein C-I - blood; Apolipoprotein C-I - genetics; Apolipoprotein E2 - genetics; Apolipoprotein E3 - genetics; Apolipoprotein E4 - genetics; Apolipoproteins E - blood; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Caucasian American; Disease Progression; Disease severity; DNA Mutational Analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Frequency - genetics; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genetic Testing; Genotype; Heterozygote; Humans; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - blood; Multiple Sclerosis - ethnology; Multiple Sclerosis - genetics; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - ethnology; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - genetics; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Disease severity; Multiple sclerosis; Caucasian American; APOE genotyping; African American; Human; Apolipoprotein E; Female; Genotype
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2006.12.049
• ISSN: 0304-3940

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory CNS disorder, resulting in progressive neurological dysfunction. The disease has a higher incidence in Caucasian Americans (CA) than African Americans (AA); however, the latter may have a more aggressive disease course. We used cluster analysis to determine whether there is a difference in disease progression between the races and whether the APOE AND APOC1 genotypes influence the disease progression. AA female patients were younger and had a higher progression index and MS severity score than CA female MS patients. AA females who were APOE 4/4, 2/4, or 2/3 and APOC1 AA had a younger age-of-onset, had primarily a relapsing remitting disease course, with a higher progression index and MS severity score, as assessed by cluster analysis. Cluster analysis also indicated that CA female patients were of two groups. One group was younger, had the APOE 3/3 genotype with relapsing remitting less severe disease. The second CA group was older, had the APOE 3/4 or 2/3 genotypes with more of the secondary progressive more severe disease phenotype. Thus, the AA MS female patients who were APOE 4 carriers had an earlier age-of-onset and more severe disease course than CA MS female patients.