Association of apolipoprotein E variants on Alzheimer's disease in Latin America: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational genetic association (case-control) studies
PubMed 41724662 · doi:10.1002/alz.71224
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association of apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) populations. The analysis synthesized data from 35 studies across 11 LAC countries, encompassing 3,206 AD patients and 5,515 controls.
What was found
The APOE ε4 allele was significantly associated with increased AD risk (odds ratio [OR] = 3.25, 95% CI [2.82, 3.76]), whereas the ε3 allele was associated with lower odds (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.37, 0.48]). Homozygous ε4/ε4 carriers had an OR of 6.84 (95% CI [5.09, 9.19]), and heterozygous ε3/ε4 carriers had an OR of 2.59 (95% CI [2.31, 2.91]). Country-level analysis showed variation, with Ecuador reporting the highest OR for ε4/ε4 carriers (13.29, 95% CI [1.56, 113.4]).
Why it matters
This study confirms that APOE ε4 is a major genetic determinant of AD risk in Latin American and Caribbean populations and highlights regional differences important for precision medicine.
Limits
The included literature consists of observational case-control studies. Some country-level estimates (such as Ecuador) have very wide confidence intervals due to limited sample sizes. The abstract provides no data on the ε2 allele or adjustment for ancestral admixture proportions.
Cited by
- supports The APOE4 allele is strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease.