The deletion polymorphism and Val1000Ile in α-2-macroglobulin and Alzheimer disease in Caribbean Hispanics

Abstract

The association between polymorphisms in the alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2m) gene and Alzheimer's disease remains in doubt because of conflicting results in independent case-control and family studies. We examined the association between Alzheimer's disease and α2m polymorphisms in Caribbean Hispanic families. The odds of having the α2m deletion/insertion polymorphism was increased 3-fold for family members with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy family members, rising to 5-fold after adjusting for APOE-ε4. In contrast, there was no relationship between the α2m Val1000Ile polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease in these families. The inconsistencies in studies cited above and the modest association between α2m and Alzheimer's disease found in the Caribbean Hispanic families reported here, suggest that the overall effect of this gene on susceptibility is small and may be limited to certain populations or families. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.