Association between dementia-related gene and morphological changes in the brain in a general older Japanese population: the Hisayama Study

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15391
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52010:General internal medicine-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Hirabayashi Naoki 九州大学, 伊都診療所, 講師 (20784474)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: APOE遺伝子 / 頭部MRI / 脳部位別灰白質容積 / 白質病変容積 / 地域高齢住民

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the association between APOE-ε4 allele and morphological changes in the brain and regional brain gray matter volumes among 1,030 community-dwelling Japanese aged 65 years or over who underwent brain MRI scans and a comprehensive health examination in 2012. Compared to non-ε4 carriers, participants with two ε4 alleles had significantly lower mean value of the total brain volume and higher mean value of the white matter lesion volume after adjustment for other confounding factors. The increasing number of APOE-ε4 alleles was significantly associated with hippocampal, amygdalar, parahippocampal, and entorhinal gray matter atrophy (all p for trend <0.05).

Free Research Field

Neuroepidemiology、心身医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

APOE遺伝子のε4多型と脳の形態学的変化の関係を検討した疫学研究の成績が欧米諸国を中心に散見されるが、これらの研究成果は必ずしも一定の見解を得ておらず、さらに日本人の地域高齢者を対象に遺伝子多型と脳の形態学的変化の関連について検討した研究はない。久山町の頭部MRI検査を含む疫学調査の成績を用いて、調整因子を詳細に検討し、日本人の地域高齢者においてAPOE遺伝子のε4多型を有する個数の増加は、海馬、扁桃体、海馬傍回、嗅内野の灰白質容積低下と有意に関連することを明らかにした。本研究結果はアルツハイマー病の病態解明やその予防対策の一助になると考えられる。