APOE polymorphisms and cognitive functions in patients with brain tumors

作者：Correa Denise D^*; Satagopan Jaya; Baser Raymond E; Cheung Kenneth; Richards Elizabeth; Lin Michael; Karimi Sasan; Lyo John; DeAngelis Lisa M; Orlow Irene

来源：Neurology, 2014, 83(4): 320-327.

DOI：10.1212/wnl.0000000000000617

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess whether the APOE epsilon 4 allele and other APOE single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes in patients with brain tumors.
Methods: Two hundred eleven patients with brain tumors participated in the study. All patients completed standardized neuropsychological tests and provided a blood sample for APOE genotyping. Ratings of white matter abnormalities were performed on MRI scans. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on the presence (n = 50) or absence (n = 161) of at least one APOE epsilon 4 allele. Additional APOE SNPs were genotyped in a subset of 150 patients.
Results: Patients with at least one APOE epsilon 4 allele had significantly lower scores in verbal learning and delayed recall, and marginally significant lower scores in executive function, in comparison to noncarriers of an epsilon 4 allele. Patients with at least one epsilon 4 allele and history of cigarette smoking had significantly higher scores in working memory and verbal learning than epsilon 4 carriers who never smoked. Nine additional APOE SNPs were significantly associated with attention and executive and memory abilities. There were no significant differences between epsilon 4 carriers and noncarriers on the extent of white matter abnormalities on MRI.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that patients with brain tumors who are carriers of the APOE epsilon 4 allele may have increased vulnerability to developing memory and executive dysfunction, and that additional SNPs in the APOE gene may be associated with cognitive outcome.

• 出版日期2014-7-22