The Association Study Of Apolipoprotein E Genotypes With Perinatal Parameters At Birth

Background: It was believed that most adult diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, originate from environmental risk factors and adult life style. But recently, both the epidemiologic and animal studies suggested a close relationship between the occurrence of adult diseases and developmental situations in the perinatal stage. The hypothesis of 'Fetal origins of adult disease' is one of the well known theories put forward by Barker DJP. On the other hand, it was suggested that genetic factors are also decisive factors of the adult diseases. Take the ApoE gene for example, it was reported that ApoE polymorphism is associated with the occurrence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dislipidemia, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. But it is still unclear whether the genotype and perinatal situation induce the adult diseases independently or in an interactive way. Objective: In this study, we investigated the relationship between ApoE genotypes and some perinatal parameters at birth. We try to suggest that ApoE polymorphism affects adult diseases through preinatal situations.Methods: The subjects of this study were individuals born in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from 1921 to 1941 and from 1948 to 1954 whose medical records at birth were still available during our study. Some of them were found in the residence registers according to the clues provided in the medical records, and others were attached by the public media. A team of physicians and clinical laboratory departments administered the clinical examinations (including interview inventory, physical examination, laboratory assays and brain CT scan) for the subjects at the outpatient clinic of PUMCH. There were 2085 of them participated in the clinical examinations and we got their perinatal information including birth PI (Weight/height~3 ), head circumference, sex, placental weight, parity, pregnant weeks and maternal age from medical records. 1110 of them were selected randomly. DNA was extracted and ApoE genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The linkage between ApoE genotype and perinatal parameters at birth were analyzed one by one, and the independent association between ApoE genotype and PI, head circumference were analyzed using logistic regression, adjusted by sex, placental weight, parity, gestational weeks and maternal age.Results:Single risk factor analysis: There is no relationship between ApoEε4 allele andperinatal parameters at birth (P >0.05). There is significantly difference betweenε2allele and PI (x~2=8.331, P=0.004) .Logistic regression model: No association between ApoEε4 allele and perinatalparameters at birth were found (P >0.05). Compared with non-ApoEε2 allele, ApoEε2allele showed negative correlation with small PI (x~2= 7.339, P =0.007, 95% CI=0.088-0.676), which suggest that ApoEε2 allele may have protective effect on PI.Conclusion: There is no correlation between ApoEε4 allele and perinatal parametersat birth. ApoEε2 allele may have protective effect on PI.