Identical distribution of the alpha 2-macroglobulin pentanucleotide deletion in subjects with Alzheimer disease and controls in a German population.

ABSTRACT

Recently, an association between a deletion polymorphism in the alpha 2-macroglobulin gene (A2M) and Alzheimer disease (AD) has been reported. The aim of the present study was to corroborate this association in a German population of 102 AD patients and two control samples of 191 healthy subject and 160 depressed patients. The frequency of the A2M genotype in AD patients was almost identical to that in both control samples. Logistic regression analysis revealed an effect of age and the APOE genotype on AD risk, but no effect of the A2M genotype. Our findings do not support the fact that the previously reported positive association between A2M deletion polymorphism and AD modifies the disease risk in the studied population. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96775-777, 2000.