Polymorphism in apoA1 Influences High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels but Is Not a Major Risk Factor of Alzheimer's Disease

Circadian Regulation of Apolipoproteins in the Brain: Implications in Lipid Metabolism and Disease

The circadian rhythm is a 24 h internal clock within the body that regulates various factors, including sleep, body temperature, and hormone secretion. Circadian rhythm disruption is an important risk factor for many diseases including neurodegenerative illnesses. The central and peripheral oscillators' circadian clock network controls the circadian rhythm in mammals. The clock genes govern the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain. One function of the circadian clock is regulating lipid metabolism. However, investigations of the circadian regulation of lipid metabolism-associated apolipoprotein genes in the brain are lacking. This review summarizes the rhythmic expression of clock genes and lipid metabolism-associated apolipoprotein genes within the SCN in Mus musculus. Nine of the twenty apolipoprotein genes identified from searching the published database (SCNseq and CircaDB) are highly expressed in the SCN. Most apolipoprotein genes (ApoE, ApoC1, apoA1, ApoH, ApoM, and Cln) show rhythmic expression in the brain in mice and thus might be regulated by the master clock. Therefore, this review summarizes studies on lipid-associated apolipoprotein genes in the SCN and other brain locations, to understand how apolipoproteins associated with perturbed cerebral lipid metabolism cause multiple brain diseases and disorders. This review describes recent advancements in research, explores current questions, and identifies directions for future research.

Decoding the genetic relationship between Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes: potential risk variants and future direction for North Africa

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) are both age-associated diseases. Identification of shared genes could help develop early diagnosis and preventive strategies. Although genetic background plays a crucial role in these diseases, we noticed an underrepresentation tendency of North African populations in omics studies.

Materials and methods

First, we conducted a comprehensive review of genes and pathways shared between T2D and AD through PubMed. Then, the function of the identified genes and variants was investigated using annotation tools including PolyPhen2, RegulomeDB, and miRdSNP. Pathways enrichment analyses were performed with g:Profiler and EnrichmentMap. Next, we analyzed variant distributions in 16 worldwide populations using PLINK2, R, and STRUCTURE software. Finally, we performed an inter-ethnic comparison based on the minor allele frequency of T2D-AD common variants.

Results

A total of 59 eligible papers were included in our study. We found 231 variants and 363 genes shared between T2D and AD. Variant annotation revealed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with a high pathogenic score, three SNPs with regulatory effects on the brain, and six SNPs with potential effects on miRNA-binding sites. The miRNAs affected were implicated in T2D, insulin signaling pathways, and AD. Moreover, replicated genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to plasma protein binding, positive regulation of amyloid fibril deposition, microglia activation, and cholesterol metabolism. Multidimensional screening performed based on the 363 shared genes showed that main North African populations are clustered together and are divergent from other worldwide populations. Interestingly, our results showed that 49 SNP associated with T2D and AD were present in North African populations. Among them, 11 variants located in DNM3, CFH, PPARG, ROHA, AGER, CLU, BDNF1, CST9, and PLCG1 genes display significant differences in risk allele frequencies between North African and other populations.

Conclusion

Our study highlighted the complexity and the unique molecular architecture of North African populations regarding T2D-AD shared genes. In conclusion, we emphasize the importance of T2D-AD shared genes and ethnicity-specific investigation studies for a better understanding of the link behind these diseases and to develop accurate diagnoses using personalized genetic biomarkers.

ApoJ/Clusterin concentrations are determinants of cerebrospinal fluid cholesterol efflux capacity and reduced levels are associated with Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) shares risk factors with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dysregulated cholesterol metabolism is a mechanism common to both diseases. Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) is an ex vivo metric of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function and inversely predicts incident CVD independently of other risk factors. Cholesterol pools in the central nervous system (CNS) are largely separate from those in blood, and CNS cholesterol excess may promote neurodegeneration. CEC of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be a useful measure of CNS cholesterol trafficking. We hypothesized that subjects with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) would have reduced CSF CEC compared with Cognitively Normal (CN) and that CSF apolipoproteins apoA-I, apoJ, and apoE might have associations with CSF CEC.

METHODS

We retrieved CSF and same-day ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma from 108 subjects (40 AD; 18 MCI; and 50 CN) from the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research biobank at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. For CSF CEC assays, we used N9 mouse microglial cells and SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, and the corresponding plasma assay used J774 cells. Cells were labeled with [³H]-cholesterol for 24 h, had ABCA1 expression upregulated for 6 h, were exposed to 33 μl of CSF, and then were incubated for 2.5 h. CEC was quantified as percent [³H]-cholesterol counts in medium of total counts medium+cells, normalized to a pool sample. ApoA-I, ApoJ, ApoE, and cholesterol were also measured in CSF.

RESULTS

We found that CSF CEC was significantly lower in MCI compared with controls and was poorly correlated with plasma CEC. CSF levels of ApoJ/Clusterin were also significantly lower in MCI and were significantly associated with CSF CEC. While CSF ApoA-I was also associated with CSF CEC, CSF ApoE had no association with CSF CEC. CSF CEC is significantly and positively associated with CSF Aβ. Taken together, ApoJ/Clusterin may be an important determinant of CSF CEC, which in turn could mitigate risk of MCI and AD risk by promoting cellular efflux of cholesterol or other lipids. In contrast, CSF ApoE does not appear to play a role in determining CSF CEC.

Apolipoprotein A1, the neglected relative of Apolipoprotein E and its potential role in Alzheimer's disease

Lipoproteins are multi-molecule assemblies with the primary function of transportation and processing of lipophilic substances within aqueous bodily fluids (blood, cerebrospinal fluid). Nevertheless, they also exert other physiological functions such as immune regulation. In particular, neurons are both sensitive to uncontrolled responses of the immune system and highly dependent on a controlled and sufficient supply of lipids. For this reason, the role of certain lipoproteins and their protein-component (apolipoproteins, Apo's) in neurological diseases is perceivable. ApoE, for example, is well-accepted as one of the major risk factors for sporadic Alzheimer's disease with a protective allele variant (ε2) and a risk-causing allele variant (ε4). ApoA1, the major protein component of high-density lipoproteins, is responsible for transportation of excess cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver. The protein is synthesized in the liver and intestine but also can enter the brain via the choroid plexus and thereby might have an impact on brain lipid homeostasis. This review focuses on the role of ApoA1 in Alzheimer's disease and discusses whether its role within this neurodegenerative disorder is specific or represents a general neuroprotective mechanism.

Association between Serum Concentrations of Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and Alzheimer's Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: A wealth of experimental and epidemiological evidence suggest that Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), the main protein constituent of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), may protect against Alzheimer disease (AD). To investigate this potential role, we conducted a meta-analysis of the published studies on the relationship between serum ApoA-I and AD occurrence. Methods: We screened MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus, for cross-sectional studies published from inception to 1 March 2021, comparing the ApoA-I serum levels between patients with AD and cognitively normal controls. Results: From an initial screening of 245 articles, 5 studies, including 397 AD patients (mean age 75.0 years, 234 females) and 367 controls (mean age 69.2 years, 182 females), met the inclusion criteria. Compared to healthy controls, AD subjects had a lower ApoA-I serum level. The pooled weighted mean difference from a random-effects model was −0.31 g/L (p < 0.0001) (95% Confidence Interval: [−0.62–0.01], with high heterogeneity (I² = 100%). The Egger’s test confirmed an absence of publication bias (t = 0.62, p = 0.576). Conclusions: Our study showed that AD patients present lower serum levels of ApoA-I compared to cognitively normal individuals. Further studies on large population samples are required to support this finding.

Involvement of Lipids in Alzheimer's Disease Pathology and Potential Therapies

Lipids constitute the bulk of the dry mass of the brain and have been associated with healthy function as well as the most common pathological conditions of the brain. Demographic factors, genetics, and lifestyles are the major factors that influence lipid metabolism and are also the key components of lipid disruption in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, the most common genetic risk factor of AD, APOE ϵ4 genotype, is involved in lipid transport and metabolism. We propose that lipids are at the center of Alzheimer's disease pathology based on their involvement in the blood-brain barrier function, amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, myelination, membrane remodeling, receptor signaling, inflammation, oxidation, and energy balance. Under healthy conditions, lipid homeostasis bestows a balanced cellular environment that enables the proper functioning of brain cells. However, under pathological conditions, dyshomeostasis of brain lipid composition can result in disturbed BBB, abnormal processing of APP, dysfunction in endocytosis/exocytosis/autophagocytosis, altered myelination, disturbed signaling, unbalanced energy metabolism, and enhanced inflammation. These lipid disturbances may contribute to abnormalities in brain function that are the hallmark of AD. The wide variance of lipid disturbances associated with brain function suggest that AD pathology may present as a complex interaction between several metabolic pathways that are augmented by risk factors such as age, genetics, and lifestyles. Herewith, we examine factors that influence brain lipid composition, review the association of lipids with all known facets of AD pathology, and offer pointers for potential therapies that target lipid pathways.

Association of apolipoprotein A1 and A5 polymorphisms with stroke subtypes in Han Chinese people in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES

Stroke is a leading cause of death and serious disability worldwide. Now, evidences indicate that dyslipidemia may play an important role in stroke. APOA1 and APOA5 involve in lipid metabolism. In this study, we investigated the association of APOA1 rs670 and APOA5 rs662799 with different stroke subtypes in the Han Chinese population of Taiwan.

METHODS

A total of 1751 participants, including 459 control subjects, 606 large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 339 small vessel occlusion (SVO), and 347 hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage (HICH), were enrolled. The presence of rs670 and rs662799 was analyzed through polymerase chain react ion and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Notably, the frequency of the rs662799 C allele was significantly lower in the SVO patients than in the controls (24.36% vs. 29.74%, P = 0.024). The frequencies of heterozygote TC [odd ratio (OR) = 0.732, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.544-0.984, P = 0.038] and TC + CC (OR = 0.719, 95% CI = 0.542-0.953, P = 0.022) genotypes were significantly lower in the SVO patients than in the controls. In addition, triglyceride levels in individuals carrying the rs662799 TC + CC genotype were significantly higher than in those carrying the TT genotype, especially in older age, female, and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 groups. On the contrary, the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly lower in rs662799 TC + CC genotype than TT genotype. The BMI was significantly lower in subjects with rs662799 TC + CC genotype than those with TT genotype, especially in older age and female. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were higher in individuals carrying the rs670 GG genotype than in those carrying the AG + AA genotype, especially in BMI < 25 group. Logistic regression analysis showed that the rs662799 C allele (TC + CC) was an independent protective factor for SVO after adjustment for conventional risk factors (OR = 0.709, 95% CI = 0.526-0.956; P = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

GG genotype of rs670 is correlated with high serum HDL-C levels, whereas TC + CC genotype of rs662799 is associated with high serum triglyceride and low LDL and BMI levels. In addition, the rs662799 C allele (TC + CC) is an independent protective factor for SVO in the Han Chinese population in Taiwan.

Association of the Apolipoprotein A-I Gene Polymorphisms with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Atherogenic Indices in Patients from Assam, Northeast India

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and particularly decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) dyslipidemia are prevalent in Assam, India. This study was undertaken to investigate whether Apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) gene polymorphisms (G-75A and C+83T) were associated with i) the risk for decreased HDL-C, and ii) other CVD risk factors, viz. serum lipids, atherogenic indices, obesity, and blood pressure (BP). A total of 649 subjects were screened, from which 200 eligible individuals, classified as case group with decreased HDL-C levels (100 subjects) and control group with normal HDL-C levels (100 subjects) were enrolled and genotyped using polymersase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing. Lipid fractions [HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TG)] and atherogenic indices [Castelli's Risk Indices-I and -II (CRI-I and -II), non-HDL-C fraction, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), atherogenic coefficient (AC)] were estimated. The G-75A and C+83T loci were not associated with decreased HDL-C risk. This was confirmed across different genetic models (dominant, recessive, additive and allelic). Association was also absent with BP and obesity. However, the G-75A locus was associated with LDL-C, whereas the C+83T locus was associated with TG and VLDL-C. Furthermore, these sites had effects on atherogenic indices. The rare A allele at the G-75A locus was associated with adverse CRI-I, CRI-II, non-HDL-C and AC values, while the major C allele at the C+83T locus was associated with adverse AIP values. Thus, the pro-atherogenic G-75A polymorphism and the anti-atherogenic C+83T polymorphism represent important genetic loci that modulate CVD risk factors in subjects from Assam.

The Effect of Interactions of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of APOA1/APOC3 with Food Group Intakes on the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of dietary food groups and genetic variants of APOA1/APOC3, relative to Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) risk in adults.

METHODS

In this matched nested case-control study, 414 MetS subjects and 414 controls were selected from among participants of Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Dietary intake was assessed with the use of a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), APOA1 (rs670, -75G>A and rs5069, +83C>T/APOC3 rs5128 C3238>G) were genotyped by the conventional polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) of age was 40.7 (13) and 41.2 (13) years in male cases and controls versus 44.0 (11) and 44.0 (12) years in female case and controls. A significant interaction between intake quartiles of the sugar group and APOA1 combined group (GA+AA/CT+TT) SNPs was found; The ORs for these genotype carriers were (1, 0.44, 0.36, 0.23; P trend<0.001) in quartiles of intake, relative to other combined genotypes (P interaction=0.02). MetS risk appeared to be increased significantly in higher quartiles of sweet beverages and fish intakes in the GA+AA/CT+TT/CC genotypes of APOA1/APOC3 SNPs, compared to other genotypes (P interaction=0.01). The combined effect of genotypes of APOC3/APOA1 showed further decrease in MetS risk in higher quartiles of sugar group intakes (OR: 1, 0.24, 0.26, 0.14, P trend=0.001) relative to other combinations (P interaction=0.008).

CONCLUSION

Results obtained demonstrate that some dietary food groups (sugar, fish, and sweet beverages) modulate the effect of APOA1/APOC3 SNPs in relation to MetS risk.

Apolipoproteins and HDL cholesterol do not associate with the risk of future dementia and Alzheimer's disease: the National Finnish population study (FINRISK)

Data on associations of apolipoproteins A-I and B (apo A-I, apo B) and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) with dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are conflicting. Our aim was to examine, whether apo B, apoA-I, their ratio, or HDL-C are significant, independent predictors of incident dementia and AD in the general population free of dementia at baseline. We analyzed the results from two Finnish prospective population-based cohort studies in a total of 13,275 subjects aged 25 to 74 years with mainly Caucasian ethnicity. The follow-up time for both cohorts was 10 years. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate hazard ratios (HR) for incident dementia (including AD) (n = 220) and for AD (n = 154). Cumulative incidence function (CIF) analysis was also performed to adjust the results for competing risks of death. Adjusted for multiple dementia and AD risk factors, log-transformed apo A-I, log HDL-C, log apo B, and log apo B/A-I ratio were not associated with incident dementia or AD. HDL-C was inversely associated with AD risk when adjusted for competing risks but no other statistically significant associations were observed in the CIF analyses. Apo A-I, HDL-C, apo B, or apo B/A-I ratio were not associated with future dementia or AD. HDL-C was inversely associated with incident AD risk when adjusted for competing risks of death, but the finding is unlikely to be of clinical relevance. Our study does not support the use of these risk markers to predict incident dementia or AD.

ApoA1, ApoJ and ApoE Plasma Levels and Genotype Frequencies in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

The involvement of apolipoproteins, such as the ApoE4 isoform, in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) highlights the fact that certain lipid carriers may participate in soluble β-amyloid (Aβ) transport. Our general aim was to characterize the soluble levels of the apolipoproteins apoE, apoA1 and apoJ/clusterin and their genotype status in patients with CAA. We analyzed the genotypes frequency of APOA1 (rs5069, rs670), CLU (rs11136000, rs1532278, rs7012010, rs9331888) and APOE (rs429358, rs7412) in a cohort of patients with CAA-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (n = 59) and compared the results with those from hypertension-associated ICH (n = 42), AD patients (n = 73) and controls (n = 88). In a subgroup of patients, we also determined the plasma concentrations of apoE, apoA1 and apoJ/clusterin. We found increased plasma apoJ/clusterin levels in CAA patients compared to AD patients or controls after adjusting for sex and age (CAA vs. controls, p = 0.033; CAA vs. AD, p = 0.013). ApoA1 levels were not altered between groups, although a strong correlation was observed between plasma Aβ(1-40) and apoA1 among CAA patients (r = 0.583, p = 0.007). Regarding plasma apoE concentration, a robust association between circulating levels and genotype status was confirmed (p < 0.001). Whereas the APOE4 frequency was higher in AD (p < 0.001) and CAA (p = 0.013), the APOA1 and CLU genotypes were not different among groups. In the CAA cohort, the risk-linked CLU variant (C) rs11136000 was associated with white matter hyperintensities (p = 0.045) and the presence of lobar microbleeds (p = 0.023) on MRI. In summary, our findings suggest that apoA1 may act as a physiological transporter of Aβ(1-40) and that apoJ/clusterin appears to be a chaperone related to distinctive lesions in CAA brains.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of APOA1 gene and their relationship with serum apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in the native population of Assam

Background

There is a growing interest in the role of allelic variants of the APOA1 gene in relation to a number of disorders. We described two common polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene, G-75A and C+83T and investigated their potential influence on the serum apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) levels in the native population of Assam — a region that is ethnically distinct and from where no information is hitherto available.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from 150 healthy volunteers. Apo A-I levels were estimated by immunoturbidometry. Genotyping was done by a PCR-RFLP method that involved DNA extraction from whole blood, followed by polymerase chain reaction and digestion of the PCR product by MspI restriction enzyme, and analysis of fragment sizes in 12% polyacrylamide gel.

Results

The GG variant at G-75A locus and CC variant at C+83T locus were the most prevalent. GG/CC was the most common combination. Homozygous TT genotype was not detected in any of the subjects. The rare allele frequencies for the G-75A and C+83T sites were found to be 0.22 and 0.06 respectively, which significantly differed from those reported in some other populations in neighbouring regions. Serum apo A-I concentrations did not vary significantly across the detected genotypes. These findings were consistent in both sexes.

Conclusion

We described the distribution of the G-75A and C+83T polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene in the population of Assam for the first time. These polymorphisms were not found to directly influence apo A-I concentrations in this population either individually or synergistically.

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The G-75A and C + 83T polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene are described for the first time in the native population of Assam, north-east India.

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The minor allelic frequencies of G-75A and C + 83T differ significantly from some populations in the adjoining regions.

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The G-75A and C + 83T polymorphisms do not influence the serum apolipoprotein A-I levels in the current population.

Haplotype analysis of ApoAI gene and sepsis-associated acute lung injury

BACKGROUND

Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) is the major apoprotein constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL) which exerts innate protective effects in systemic inflammation. However, its role in the acute lung injury (ALI) has not been well studied. In the present study we investigated the association between polymorphisms of ApoA1 gene and ALI in a Chinese population.

METHODS

Three polymorphisms of the ApoA1 gene (rs11216153, rs2070665, and rs632153) were genotyped by TaqMan method in 290 patients with sepsis-associated ALI, 285 patients sepsis alone and 330 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

RESULTS

We found rs11216153 polymorphism of ApoA1 was associated with ALI, the GG genotype and G allele was common in the ALI patients (76.9%, 88.1%, respectively) than both in the control subjects (55.8%, 75.8%, respectively) and in the sepsis alone patients (58.2%, 78.4%, respectively). Haplotype consisting of these three SNPs strengthened the association with ALI susceptibility. The frequency of haplotype GTG in the ALI samples was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (OR = 2.261, 95% CI: 1.735 ~ 2.946, P <0.001) and the sepsis alone group (OR = 1.789, 95% CI: 1.373 ~ 2.331.P < 0.001). Carriers of the haplotype TTG had a lower risk for ALI compared with healthy control group (OR = 0.422, 95% CI: 0.310 ~ 0.574, P < 0.001) and sepsis alone group (OR = 0.491, 95% CI: 0.356 ~ 0.676, P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that genetic variants in the ApoA1 gene might be associated with susceptibility to sepsis-associated ALI in Han Chinese population.

Association of apolipoprotein A1 -75 G/A polymorphism with susceptibility to the development of acute lung injury after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery

Introduction

Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) is the major apoprotein constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL) which exerts innate protective effects in systemic inflammation. However, its role in the acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential association between APOA1 -75 G/A polymorphism and the development of ALI after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery.

Materials and methods

A hospital-based case–control study was conducted in patients with ALI (n = 300), patients without ALI (n = 300) and healthy controls (n = 300). Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was applied to assess the APOA1 -75 G/A genotypes.

Results

Patients with ALI had a significantly higher frequency of APOA1 -75 AA genotype [odds ratio (OR) =1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04, 2.92; P = 0.03] than patients without ALI. APOA1 -75 AA genotype (OR =3.47, 95% CI = 1.60, 7.52; P = 0.002) and A allele (OR =1.92, 95% CI = 1.24, 2.96; P = 0.003) were the significant independent prognostic factors for the 30-day survival rate of patients with ALI after CPB surgery.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that APOA1 -75 AA genotype was associated with a higher ALI risk after CPB surgery. Patients with the APOA1 -75 AA genotype and A allele had higher 30-day mortality of ALI after CPB surgery. Additional studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Genetic association between APOA1 and APOD polymorphisms and Alzheimer's disease in a Japanese population

Alterations in lipoproteins are involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). For sporadic AD, the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is recognized as a sole genetic risk factor. Apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) has been suggested to bind amyloid β and promoter polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene were likely to affect the onset of the disease. Apolipoprotein D (APOD) expression is upregulating in AD brain and evidences showed APOD polymorphisms affect the risk for AD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms of both APOA1 and APOD genes are associated with early-onset AD (EOAD) and late-onset AD (LOAD). Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the two genes were analyzed using a case-control study design. There were no associations between the two SNPs of the APOA1 gene and the onset of AD. No synergetic associations were found among the APOA1 SNPs, APOE and the risk for AD. Rs7659, 3' UTR polymorphism of the APOD gene was associated with EOAD in APOEε4 (-) subgroup. We were unable to show any impact of the other two SNPs of the APOD gene on the risk for AD. Our results suggest that the variation of the APOD gene modifies the risk for AD. Further association studies for APOD 3' UTR polymorphisms with other ethnic groups would be needed.