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BuChE K variant is decreased in Alzheimer’s disease not in fronto-temporal dementia

  • Dementias - Original Article
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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a significant reduction in AcetylCholinesterase and an increase in ButyrylCholinesterase (BuChE) activity. The existence of polymorphic regions on the BuChE gene has been previously described; the most frequently found polymorphism is the so-called K variant, which leads to a 30% decreased enzymatic activity. Different studies reported a positive association between K variant and AD, strongest among late-onset AD and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 carriers. We analyzed APOE and BuChE polymorphisms in 167 AD and 59 fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) patients compared with 129 healthy controls (HC). We reported a significantly lower frequency of the BuChE K variant in AD compared with HC and FTD and a significant increased frequency of the K variant in FTD. These results are in agreement with the known increase of the BuChE activity in AD and support the evidence of different molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of AD and FTD.

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Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Education University and Research (MIUR), grant no. 70200058 to C. Masullo

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    Alessandra Bizzarro, V. Guglielmi, A. Lauria, C. Marra & C. Masullo

  2. Department of Geriatrics, Catholic University, 00168, Rome, Italy

    M. C. Silveri

  3. Institute of Medical Genetics, Catholic University, 00168, Rome, Italy

    R. Lomastro, F. D. Tiziano & C. Brahe

  4. Neurological Unit, Ospedale Belcolle, Viterbo, Italy

    A. Valenza

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  1. Alessandra Bizzarro
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  2. V. Guglielmi
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  3. R. Lomastro
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  4. A. Valenza
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  5. A. Lauria
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  6. C. Marra
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  7. M. C. Silveri
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  8. F. D. Tiziano
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  9. C. Brahe
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  10. C. Masullo
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Correspondence to Alessandra Bizzarro.

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Bizzarro, A., Guglielmi, V., Lomastro, R. et al. BuChE K variant is decreased in Alzheimer’s disease not in fronto-temporal dementia. J Neural Transm 117, 377–383 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0358-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0358-y

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