APOE and longevity: study of a population of Sardinian Centenarians

Apolipoprotein E is a major determinant in lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular disease, it has emerged as an important molecule in several biological processes including Alzheimer's disease and cognitive function. ApoE is a polymorphic protein (ε2, ε3, ε4) with three proteic isoforms, ApoE2, ApoE3, ApoE4 (1). The aim of the study was to verify the frequencies of allelic variants a population of healthy elderly people. ApoE polymorphisms were determined by Real Time-PCR. The genotype frequencies of ApoE in our group of 71 centenarians (mean age 100.9 ±1.3) were: ε2/ε3 (12.67%); ε3/ε4 (5.63%). In the control group, consisting of 97 individuals (mean age 92.98 ±2.53), the genotype freque…

Prothrombotic variants in elderly

Fetun-A and end stage renal disease: correlations with haemodialytic single session and genotype

Several studies showed that Fetuin-a is an extracellular calcium-regulatory protein acting as a potent inhibitor of calcium-phosphate precipitation, involved also in bone metabolism because of its high affinity for hydroxyapatite. The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum Fetuin-A levels in patients with chronic renal failure before and after a single session of dialysis and to investigate the correlation between protein serum concentrations and T256S genotype. Our results show that serum Fetuin- A levels decrease 4 hours after haemodialysis treatment and a significant correlation between 256SS homozygote and serum protein levels. Ectopic calcification and particularly intravascular ca…