The roles of apolipoprotein E ε4 on neuropathology and neuroinflammation in patients with Alzheimer′s disease

Aims: To explore the roles of apolipoprotein E ( APOE) epsilon 4 on the neuropathology and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer ' s disease (AD) patients. Methods: AD patients were divided into the APOE epsilon 4 carrier and the APOE epsilon 4 non-carrier groups according to APOE genotype. Demographic information, cognitive function, the levels of neuropathological proteins and neuroinflammatory factors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were compared between the two groups, and their correlations were subsequently analyzed. Results: ss amyloid protein ( A ss) 1-42 level from the APOE epsilon 4 carrier group was significantly lower than that from the non-carrier group ( p = 0.023), which was associated with worse cognitive function. The nitric oxide (NO) level was significantly elevated in the APOE epsilon 4 carrier group compared to the non-carrier group (p = 0.016), which was significantly and positively correlated with the Trail Making Test (TMT)-A- time (r = 0.21, p = 0.026) and TMT-B- time (r = 0.38, p < 0.01). Conclusion: APOE e4 is associated with poorer cognition, particularly the early symptoms of memory, language, and attention. APOE epsilon 4 is associated with lower A ss 1- 42 level, and the more numbers of APOE epsilon 4 are carried, the lower level of A ss 1- 42 is measured. APOE epsilon 4 is associated with elevated NO level, which is linked to the impaired attention and executive function.