Association between apolipoprotein E4 genotype and human immunodeficiency virus–associated dementia in younger adults starting antiretroviral therapy in South Africa

Abstract

It is not known whether the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allelic variant is associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated dementia (HAD) in a South African population, where HIV clade C is predominant. ApoE genotyping was performed on 144 participants in a larger study of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). There was a lower frequency of the ε2 and ε3 alleles in the HIV-positive group, compared to a group of 300 community-based newborn infants. There were no differences in ApoE genotype across different categories of HAND. The ε4 allelic variant was less common in individuals with HAD than in those without HAD. These findings suggest that the ε4 allelic variant in HIV-positive individuals is not associated with the development of HAD in Southern Africa.

Keywords::

• AIDS dementia complex
• amnestic disorders
• apolipoprotein E
• cognitive disorders
• delirium
• dementia

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge and note the work of Alan J. Flisher (AJF) in this work. He passed away in April 2010 after a short battle with leukaemia and will be sorely missed.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.