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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2002;73:62-64 doi:10.1136/jnnp.73.1.62
  • Short report

Association study of three polymorphisms of TGF-β1 gene with Alzheimer's disease

  1. L Araria-Goumidi1,
  2. J C Lambert1,
  3. D M A Mann2,
  4. C Lendon3,
  5. B Frigard4,
  6. T Iwatsubo5,
  7. D Cottel1,
  8. P Amouyel1,
  9. M C Chartier-Harlin1
  1. 1INSERM 508, Institut Pasteur de Lille, rue du Professeur Calmette, Lille, France
  2. 2Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Medicine, Greater Manchester Neurosciences Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK
  3. 3Molecular Psychiatry Department, Division of Neuroscience, Queen Elisabeth Psychiatry Hospital, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  4. 4CH I de Wasquehal-Moulinel, rue Salvador Allende, Wasquehal, France
  5. 5Department of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr M C Chartier-Harlin, Unité INSERM 508, Institut Pasteur de Lille, 1 rue du Pr Calmette, BP 245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France;
 marie-christine.chartier{at}pasteur-lille.fr
  • Received 21 December 2001
  • Accepted 3 April 2002
  • Revised 27 March 2002

Abstract

Background: There is evidence that inflammatory processes may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease through production of cytokines and free radicals that damage neurones. A recent study has shown that transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) signalling in astrocytes promotes Aβ production and could play a critical role in the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain.

Objectives: To explore the impact of the −800 and −509 TGF-β1 promoter polymorphisms and the +25 polymorphism on the risk of occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in a large population of sporadic cases and controls, and on the amyloid β (Aβ) load in the brains of Alzheimer patients.

Methods: The TGF-β1 genotypes of the three polymorphisms were determined in 678 sporadic Alzheimer's disease patients and 667 controls. They were also characterised, along with Aβ load, in the brains of 81 necropsy confirmed Alzheimer patients.

Results: No significant variations in the distribution of the genotypes and haplotypes were observed between Alzheimer patients and controls, or in the amount of Aβ deposition.

Conclusions: These results do not suggest an influence of genetic variability at the TGF-β1 gene locus on the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.

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