Retinal imaging demonstrates reduced capillary density in clinically unimpaired APOE ε4 gene carriers.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4, the strongest non-Mendelian genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been shown to affect brain capillaries in mice, with potential implications for AD-related neurodegenerative disease. However, human brain capillaries cannot be directly visualized in vivo. We therefore used retinal imaging to test APOE ε4 effects on human central nervous system capillaries.

Methods

We collected retinal optical coherence tomography angiography, cognitive testing, and brain imaging in research participants and built statistical models to test genotype-phenotype associations.

Results

Our analyses demonstrate lower retinal capillary densities in early disease, in cognitively normal APOE ε4 gene carriers. Furtherm

SUBMITTER: Elahi FM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8111703 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature