Of dozens of candidates potentially involved in increasing a person's risk for the most common type of Alzheimer's disease that affects more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65, one gene that keeps grabbing Johns Hopkins researchers' attention makes a protein called neuroglobin.
Ever so slight genetic variations between individuals can and do influence the amounts of particular proteins that each specific gene ultimately produces. In this case, the team has found that individuals with genetic variations equating to less neuroglobin production have an increased risk for Alzheimer's.
Referring to data published in Neurobiology of Aging, Avramopoulos explains that his team measured levels of gene product in 56 different samples of human brain tissue: 30 from confirmed cases of Alzheimer's and 26 without brain disease. The scientists found that neuroglobin levels decreased with advancing age, which, Avramopoulos points out, is consistent with risk of Alzheimer's increasing with advancing age. They also found that levels of neuroglobin were lower in women than in men, which is consistent with the fact that women have a slightly higher risk of Alzheimer's. About two times as many patients in the general population with Alzheimer's are women which, in part, can be attributed to the fact that women live longer and therefore have more of a chance to get Alzheimer's. Having corrected for that disparity, researchers have noted a slightly higher risk in women than in men.
References:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090506160540.htm
