Skip Navigation



American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published online on August 17, 2006
American Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/aje/kwj279
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
164/9/813    most recent
kwj279v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Thakkinstian, A.
Right arrow Articles by Attia, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Thakkinstian, A.
Right arrow Articles by Attia, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Copyright © 2006 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health All rights reserved; printed in U.S.A.
Received February 9, 2006
Accepted April 5, 2006

HUMAN GENOME EPIDEMIOLOGY (HuGE) REVIEW

Association between Apolipoprotein E Polymorphisms and Age-related Macular Degeneration: A HuGE Review and Meta-Analysis

Ammarin Thakkinstian 1, Steve Bowe 2, Mark McEvoy 2, Wayne Smith 2, and John Attia 2 *

1 Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
2 Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
John Attia, E-mail: John.Attia{at}newcastle.edu.au


  Abstract

A possible association between apolipoprotein E polymorphisms and age-related macular degeneration has been investigated numerous times, with conflicting results. A previous analysis pooling results from four studies (Schmidt et al., Ophthalmic Genet 2002;23:209-23) suggested an association, but those investigators did not document allele frequencies, the magnitude of the association, or the possible genetic mode of action. Thus, the authors searched MEDLINE from 1966 to December 2005 for any English-language studies reporting genetic associations. Data and study quality were assessed in duplicate. Pooling was performed while checking for heterogeneity and publication bias. Frequencies of the E2 and E4 alleles in Caucasians were approximately 8% and 15%, respectively. Allele- and genotype-based tests of association indicated a risk effect of up to 20% for E2 and a protective effect of up to 40% for E4. E2 appeared to act in a recessive mode and E4 in a dominant mode. There appears to be a differential effect of the E2 and E4 alleles on the risk of age-related macular degeneration, although the possibility of survivor bias needs to be ruled out more definitively.

Keywords: ApoE; apolipoproteins E; epidemiology; genetics; macular degeneration; meta-analysis; polymorphism, genetic.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 NeurologyHome page
D. J. Berlau, M. M. Corrada, E. Head, and C. H. Kawas
APOE {varepsilon}2 is associated with intact cognition but increased Alzheimer pathology in the oldest old
Neurology, March 3, 2009; 72(9): 829 - 834.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 StrokeHome page
J. M. Maguire, A. Thakkinstian, J. Sturm, C. Levi, L. Lincz, M. Parsons, S. Whyte, and J. Attia
Polymorphisms in Platelet Glycoprotein 1b{alpha} and Factor VII and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis
Stroke, June 1, 2008; 39(6): 1710 - 1716.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
D. L. White, D. Li, Z. Nurgalieva, and H. B. El-Serag
Genetic Variants of Glutathione S-Transferase as Possible Risk Factors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A HuGE Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2008; 167(4): 377 - 389.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum Mol GenetHome page
A. Swaroop, K. E. Branham, W. Chen, and G. Abecasis
Genetic susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration: a paradigm for dissecting complex disease traits
Hum. Mol. Genet., October 15, 2007; 16(R2): R174 - R182.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.