Oestrogen receptor polymorphisms are an associated risk factor for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease in women APOE {varepsilon}4 carriers: a case-control study.

Objectives: Examine the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the oestrogen receptor (ER) genes: rs9340799, rs2234693, rs2228480 (in the ESR1 gene) and rs4986938 (in the ESR2 gene) as a risk factor for amnesic mild cognitive impairment (MCIa) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its possible association with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene.

Design: We have investigated the independent and combined association of different alleles of the oestrogen receptor genes and APOE*ε4 allele with cognitive impairment using a case-control design.

Setting: Participants were prospectively recruited from the neurology departments of several Basque Country hospitals.