A pooled case-control study of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in age-related maculopathy.
Published
Journal Article
Age-related maculopathy (ARM) is a multifactorial disorder known to have a substantial genetic component. The epsilon4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE-4) has previously been reported to have a protective effect on ARM risk, while the APOE-2 allele may increase disease risk. This study combined four independent data sets (three US and one European) of Caucasian ARM patients and controls in order to obtain better statistical power to examine the role of APOE in ARM. APOE genotype and allele frequencies were compared for 617 ARM cases and 1260 controls, adjusting for age and sex differences between the two groups via multiple logistic regression. The protective effect of the APOE-4 allele on ARM risk was confirmed (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for APOE-4 carriers 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.70, p < 0.0001). The effect of APOE-4 did not differ significantly between males and females and was observed consistently for both atrophic and neovascular ARM. Evidence for an increased risk of ARM due to the APOE-2 allele was found for men, but not for women (OR for men 1.54, 95% CI 0.97-2.45; OR for women 0.74, 95% CI 0.52-1.06, p = 0.01 for interaction of sex and APOE-2 carrier status). These data confirm that the APOE-4 allele, or an allele in linkage disequilibrium with it, reduces the risk of ARM. They also suggest that the effect of the APOE-2 allele may vary by gender, and that APOE-2 may confer an increased risk only to males.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Schmidt, S; Klaver, C; Saunders, A; Postel, E; De La Paz, M; Agarwal, A; Small, K; Udar, N; Ong, J; Chalukya, M; Nesburn, A; Kenney, C; Domurath, R; Hogan, M; Mah, T; Conley, Y; Ferrell, R; Weeks, D; de Jong, PTVM; van Duijn, C; Haines, J; Pericak-Vance, M; Gorin, M
Published Date
- December 2002
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 23 / 4
Start / End Page
- 209 - 223
PubMed ID
- 12567264
Pubmed Central ID
- 12567264
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1381-6810
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1076/opge.23.4.209.13883
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- England