Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Consistent deficits in the cholinergic system are evident in the brains of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients, including reductions in the activities of acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), increased butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity, and a selective loss of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Accordingly, we have analyzed polymorphisms in the genes encoding AChE, ChAT, BChE, and several of the subunit genes from neuronal nAChRs, for genetic associations with late-onset AD. A significant association for disease was detected for a non-coding polymorphism in ChAT (allele χ12= 12.84, P = 0.0003; genotype χ22= 11.89, P = 0.0026). Although replication analysis did not confirm the significance of this finding when the replication samples were considered alone (allele χ12= 1.02, P=0.32; genotype χ22= 1.101, P = 0.58) the trends were in the correct direction and a significant association remained when the two sample sets were pooled (allele χ12= 12.37, P = 0.0004; genotype χ22= 11.61, P = 0.003). Previous studies have reported significant disease associations for both the K-variant of BChE and the coding ChAT rs3810950 polymorphism with AD. Replication analyses of these two loci failed to detect any significant association for disease in our case-control samples. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/ajmg.b.30068

Type

Journal article

Journal

American Journal of Medical Genetics - Neuropsychiatric Genetics

Publication Date

05/01/2005

Volume

132 B

Pages

5 - 8