Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele, the major risk factor in Alzheimer's disease, is not involved in osteoporosis

The genotypes of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and their relationship with bone mineral density (BMD) and vertebral fractures were examined in 124 unrelated post menopasal French women aged 45-90 years (63.0 +/- 12.3 years). The apoE allele frequencies in the osteoporotic patients were epsilon 2:4%, epsilon 3:86% and epsilon 4:10%, values in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for genotypic distributions, and in agreement with data reported for the normal French population. We classified the apoE genotypes into two categories: epsilon 4(-) and epsilon 4(+). The lumbar and femoral BMD values were not significantly different among these two groups, even when patients over 75 years are considered alone. There was no significant association between epsilon 4 status and vertebral fractures. In conclusion, the apoE epsilon 4 allele is not significantly associated with a low bone mass or vertebral fractures in post menopausal French women.