Background: The association of the apolipoprotein (Apo E) -epsilon4 allele to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) has been analyzed in several studies. This association has been identified by amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Method: In this study the possible relationship between Apo E alleles and PD patients was analyzed in 105 patients with PD and 107 healthy controls from a Mexican population.
Results: Allele analysis in PD vs. controls was: epsilon2 in 6% and 2.3%, respectively; epsilon3 in 73% and 88.3%; and epsilon4} in 21% and 9.4%. The epsilon3 allele showed a protective risk effect with an Odds ratio (OR) of 0.36 (95%CI 0.20-0.61) and p < 0.05; contrary results were observed for the epsilon4 allele, which showed an increased risk for PD, with an OR of 2.57(95% CI 1.42-4.79) and p < 0.05. Upon multivariate analysis showed PD risk was evident in patients who were carriers of the genotype epsilon3/epsilon4; age group (fifty or more years) and had exposure to pesticides and solvents (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The epsilon3/epsilon3}; epsilon3/epsilon4 genotypes of the Apo E, were positively associated with sporadic PD.