老年痴呆关联基因的研究进展

Associated Genes for Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

阿尔茨海默类痴呆(AD)是老年痴呆中最常见的一种,它以渐进性的神经功能退化并伴随着整体认知能力的下降为特征。早发性AD主要是由β-淀粉样前体蛋白(APP)基因和早老素基因突变引起,而与晚发性AD发病明显相关的只有载脂蛋白E-ε4(APOE-ε4)等位基因。但是APOE-ε4等位基因对AD发病既非充分又非必要,而且只能解释少于50％的AD的遗传变异。所以有必要进一步寻找与AD的关联基因。

Dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD) is the leading cause of dementias for the elders. It is a progressively neurodegenerative disorder characterized by global cognitive decline. While most of the rare early-onset AD can be explained by mutations in APP gene and presenilin genes, the genetic etiology of the more common late-onset AD is only partly explained by the APOE-e4 genotype. But the APOE-ε4 allele is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause disease and it can only account for less than one-half of the genetic variance of AD. Thus,more genes involved in AD are our special attention.