The apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular diseases--an autopsy study.
Cardiovasc Pathol
; 21(6): 461-9, 2012.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22440829
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Numerous studies have addressed the association between the apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular disease, but only a few reports are based on findings at autopsy. In the present retrospective study, we have used autopsy findings from a general hospital population to further investigate this issue. METHODS ANDRESULTS:
We collected information from 1522 consecutive autopsy reports (886 men, mean age 65.7 years; 636 women, mean age 69.7 years) conducted at Oslo University Hospital, Norway, in the period from 1996 to 2000. Cause of death and signs related to cardiovascular disease including the degree of atherosclerosis in the aorta and the coronary arteries, signs of myocardial infarction, heart weight, and signs of cerebrovascular disease were recorded. The patients were genotyped, and the apolipoprotein E allele frequencies (É2, 8.0%; É3, 72.6%; and É4, 19.4%) were not statistically different from a group of healthy controls. Approximately 35% of the patients died from a cardiovascular disease. Genotypes differed significantly (P<.05), with more É4-carriers (34.3% vs. 29.6%) and fewer É2-carriers (11.8% vs. 13.9%) among patients who died from cardiovascular disease compared to those who died from other causes. A similar distribution of genotypes was seen in patients recorded with myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular disease. There was an association between the presence of É4 and atherosclerosis in the aorta and coronary arteries, but this did not reach statistical significance. Among patients with signs of coronary heart disease, standardized heart weights were significantly higher in É2-carriers compared to É4-carriers.CONCLUSION:
The present autopsy study suggests that the risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, is influenced by the apolipoprotein E polymorphism.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Apolipoproteins E
/
Coronary Disease
/
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
/
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
/
Atherosclerosis
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Cardiovasc Pathol
Journal subject:
ANGIOLOGIA
/
CARDIOLOGIA
/
PATOLOGIA
Year:
2012
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Norway