Human leucocyte antigen-A2 increases risk of Alzheimer's disease but does not affect age of onset in a Scottish population

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2000-11, Vol.294 (1), p.37-40
• Main Authors: Harris, J.M, Cumming, A.M, Craddock, N, St Clair, D, Lendon, C.L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Age of Onset; Aged; Alleles; Alzheimer Disease - epidemiology; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer’s disease; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoprotein E4; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Female; Gene Frequency; histocompatibility antigen HLA; HLA-A2 Antigen - genetics; Human leucocyte antigen; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Odds Ratio; Risk Assessment; Scotland - epidemiology; Sex Distribution
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(00)01539-1

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that attenuation of the inflammatory response may be beneficial. Several, but not all, genetic association studies have shown human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A2, a major histocompatibility complex class I antigen-binding transmembrane protein has an increased frequency in AD compared to controls, and in some reports is associated with a lowered age of onset. We further investigated the role of HLA-A2 in an independent sample of AD cases, including a large early onset cohort. The results of this current study and meta analysis of all studies available to date support previous evidence of an excess of HLA-A2 in AD, but found no evidence of a relationship with age of onset.