ApoE gene polymorphism and vascular dementia in Chinese population: a meta-analysis

• Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission Vol. 119; no. 3; pp. 387 - 394
• Main Authors: Liu, Xu, Li, Lei, Liu, Fang, Deng, Shuming, Zhu, Ruixia, Li, Qu, He, Zhiyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.03.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alleles; Alzheimer's disease; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoprotein E4; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; China; Data processing; Dementia disorders; Dementia, Vascular - genetics; Dementias - Original Article; Gene Frequency; Gene polymorphism; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurology; Neurosciences; Polymorphism, Genetic; Population genetics; Psychiatry; Reviews; Risk factors; Systematic review; vascular dementia; China; ApoE; Vascular dementia; Gene polymorphism; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0300-9564; 1435-1463
• DOI: 10.1007/s00702-011-0714-6

Vascular dementia is the second common cause of dementia, only second to Alzheimer’s disease in later life. The Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism as a risk factor in vascular dementia has been suggested, but direct evidence from genetic association studies remains inconclusive even in Chinese population. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis in order to evaluate the relationship between ApoE gene polymorphism and susceptibility to vascular dementia in Chinese population by pooling data from all relevant case–control studies published domestically and abroad from January 1990 to May 2011. 18 case–control studies were selected. Meta-analysis results showed that the pooled OR value of vascular dementia subjects in Chinese population with ε4 allele carriers was 2.07 [95% CI (1.69, 2.53)], and the pooled OR value of vascular dementia subjects with E4/E4 genotype was 3.34 [95% CI (1.89, 5.88)]. These results suggest that ApoE polymorphism is significantly associated with susceptibility to vascular dementia in Chinese population. The subject with at least one ε4 allele or E4/E4 genotype has higher risk suffering from vascular dementia than others.