Apolipoprotein epsilon four and Alzheimer's disease in patients of the Salvadoran Social Security Institute

Abstract

The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) E4 allele is an independent genetic risk factor that modifies the risk of early and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). The objective was to determine the association between ApoE e4 and AD in older adults who consult at the Arce Polyclinic Hospital of the Salvadoran Institute of Social Security between 2018-2019. The study methodology was case-control; the universe of study was the patients diagnosed for the first time with AD between October/18 and September/19. Forty-nine newly diagnosed cases of AD and an equal number of controls were consecutively recruited. The test for the identification of the E2, E3 and E4 allelosmes of apolipoprotein E was based on polymerase chain reaction and reverse hybridization. The results concluded that age 75 and over was a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's. (OR=7.3; 95% CI: 2.9-18.2). A level of schooling <7 years was found in 49% of the cases and in 40.8% of the controls. Body mass index less than 25 was a risk factor for developing AD. (OR=2.9; CI95%: 1.2-6.9). The E4 allele was present in 40.8% of the cases and in 20.4% of the controls. In those under 75 years of age, apolipoprotein E4 presented a significant association with Alzheimer's (OR=6.5; 95% CI: 1.4-30.5).