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Shen T, Sheriff S, You Y, Jiang J, Schulz A, Francis H, Mirzaei M, Saks D, Palanivel V, Basavarajappa D, Chitranshi N, Gupta V, Wen W, Sachdev PS, Jia H, Sun X, Graham SL, Gupta VK. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met is Associated with Variation in Cortical Structure in Healthy Aging Subjects. Aging Dis 2024; 15:2315-2327. [PMID: 38916728 PMCID: PMC11346411 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with progressive brain atrophy and declines in learning and memory, often attributed to hippocampal or cortical deterioration. The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in modulating the structural and functional changes in the brain and visual system, particularly in relation to BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, remains underexplored. In this present cross-sectional observational study, we aimed to assess the effects of BDNF polymorphism on brain structural integrity, cognitive function, and visual pathway alterations. A total of 108 older individuals with no evidence of dementia and a mean (SD) age of 67.3 (9.1) years were recruited from the Optic Nerve Decline and Cognitive Change (ONDCC) study cohort. The BDNF Met allele carriage had a significant association with lower entorhinal cortex volume (6.7% lower compared to the Val/Val genotype, P = 0.02) and posterior cingulate volume (3.2% lower than the Val/Val group, P = 0.03), after adjusting for confounding factors including age, sex and estimated total intracranial volumes (eTIV). No significant associations were identified between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and other brain volumetric or diffusion measures, cognitive performances, or vision parameters except for temporal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. Small but significant correlations were found between visual structural and functional, cognitive, and brain morphological metrics. Our findings suggest that carriage of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with lower entorhinal cortex and posterior cingulate volumes and may be involved in modulating the cortical morphology along the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Samran Sheriff
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Yuyi You
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Jiyang Jiang
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Angela Schulz
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Heather Francis
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Neurology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Danit Saks
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | | | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Veer Gupta
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Huixun Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Xiaodong Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Vivek K Gupta
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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Gao Y, Wang R, Mou K, Zhang Y, Xu H, Liu Y, Yang F, Gao Y, Wang X, Bao L, Zhang J, Chen Q, Yin H, Zhang M. Association of outer retinal and choroidal alterations with neuroimaging and clinical features in posterior cortical atrophy. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:187. [PMID: 39160571 PMCID: PMC11331764 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01551-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare condition characterized by early-onset and progressive visual impairment. Individuals with PCA have relatively early-onset and progressive dementia, posing certain needs for early detection. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the association of alterations in outer retinal and choroidal structure and microvasculature with PCA neuroimaging and clinical features and the possible effects of apolipoprotein E(APOE) ε4 allele on outer retinal and choroidal alterations in participants with PCA, to detect potential ocular biomarkers for PCA screening. METHODS This cross-sectional study included PCA and age- and sex-matched healthy control participants from June 2022 to December 2023. All participants with PCA completed a comprehensive neurological evaluation. All participants were recorded baseline information and underwent an ophthalmic evaluation. Quantitative analyses were performed using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and angiography (SS-OCTA). Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO) was performed in some patients. In participants with PCA, the influence of APOE ε4 on outer retinal and choroidal alterations and the correlation of outer retinal and choroidal alterations with PCA neuroimaging and clinical features in participants with PCA were investigated. RESULTS A total of 28 participants (53 eyes) with PCA and 56 healthy control participants (112 eyes) were included in the current study. Compared with healthy control participants, participants with PCA had significantly reduced outer retinal thickness (ORT) (p < 0.001), choriocapillaris vessel density (VD) (p = 0.007), choroidal vascular index (CVI) (p = 0.005) and choroidal vascular volume (CVV) (p = 0.003). In participants with PCA, APOE ε4 carriers showed thinner ORT (p = 0.009), and increased choriocapillaris VD (p = 0.004) and CVI (p = 0.004). The PCA neuroimaging features were positively associated with the ORT, CVI and CVV. Furthermore, differential correlations were observed of PCA clinical features with the CRT, CVV and CVI. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlighted the association of outer retinal and choroidal alterations with PCA neuroimaging and clinical features in participants with PCA. Noninvasive SS-OCT and SS-OCTA can provide potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and management of PCA, improving awareness of PCA syndrome among ophthalmologists, neurologists, and primary care providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhu Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruihan Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Kefan Mou
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Hanyue Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yilin Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunxia Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyue Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Bao
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Advanced Ophthalmology Laboratory (AOL), Robotrak Technologies, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Hongbo Yin
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Rasmussen KL, Frikke-Schmidt R. The current state of apolipoprotein E in dyslipidemia. Curr Opin Lipidol 2024; 35:78-84. [PMID: 38054895 DOI: 10.1097/mol.0000000000000915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays a pivotal role in lipid metabolism in the peripheral circulation and in the brain. This has been recognized for decades; however, the importance of the full spectrum of variation in the APOE gene has been less investigated. This review focusses on current progresses in this field with main focus on apoE in dyslipidemia and vascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS Whereas ε4 is the risk increasing allele for Alzheimer disease, ε2 is associated with increased risk for age-related macular degeneration. Rare functional ε2-like variants in APOE have previously been reported to have protective associations for Alzheimer disease but recent findings suggest a simultaneous high risk of age-related macular degeneration, in line with observations for the ε2 allele. SUMMARY ApoE plays an important and well established role in dyslipidemia, vascular disease, and dementia. Recent evidence from large general population studies now also suggests that apoE is involved in age-related macular degeneration. ApoE-targeted therapeutics are being developed for multiple purposes; this heralds a promising change in the approach to disease processes involving apoE. The different risk profile for dementia and age-related macular degeneration should, however, be kept in mind when developing drugs targeting mechanisms resembling these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine L Rasmussen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Nordsjællands Hospital, Hillerød
- The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Herlev
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ruth Frikke-Schmidt
- The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Herlev
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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