Objective: Ischaemic demyelination of the white matter of the brain is a frequent clinical entity. In the neuroimaging terms, it is referred to as leukoaraiosis. We earlier found that the co-occurrence of the homozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677TT and angiotensin-converting enzyme D/D (ACE D/D) genotypes yielded a highly significant moderate risk of leukoaraiosis. On the assumption of further genetic interactions, we have now investigated whether the different apolipoprotein E (APO E) genotypes, in pairwise combinations with the MTHFR 677TT or ACE D/D mutation, could lead to an increased risk of leukoaraiosis.
Material and methods: We analysed the occurrence of the APO E genotypes in pairwise combinations with the MTHFR 677TT or ACE D/D mutation in 315 consecutive Caucasian patients with leukoaraiosis. A total of 646 neuroimaging-free subjects acted as a control group.
Results: The APO E 2/2 and 2/3 or APO E 4/4 and 4/3 genotypes in combination with the MTHFR 677TT or ACE D/D mutation exhibited independent genetic risks of leukoaraiosis.
Conclusion: The interactions of certain unfavourable genetic mutations can contribute to the evolution of leukoaraiosis.