Association of apolipoprotein allele ε2 with psoriasis vulgaris in Japanese population

Abstract We studied phenotypic variations of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and the corresponding allele frequencies in 100 Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV). The phenotypes of apoE were examined using analytical isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting with goat anti-apoE antibody and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated rabbit antigoat IgG. The phenotypic frequency of apoE3/2 in PV was significantly higher than in healthy controls, and this elevation was associated with an increased frequency of the ε2 allele. Therefore, it is suggested that the apoE molecule plays an important role in the development of PV.