The fact that the allele epsilon 4 of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene could act like a risk factor not only in late-onset familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) but also in cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and vascular dementia (VaD) is still controversial.
The apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 allele is known to influence risk of AD but it has been difficult to establish whether it affects episodic memory differently from other cognitive functions.
The objective was to evaluate the effects of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and gender on the response to donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's disease.
We have previously reported the isoform-specific interaction of native human apolipoprotein E (APOE, gene; apoE, protein) epsilon 3 with the amyloid-ss peptide, Ass(1-40), the major component of the cerebral amyloid deposits that appear to cause Alzheimer's disease.