The underlying molecular mechanism of apolipoprotein E polymorphism: relationships to lipid disorders, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Apolipoprotein E (apo E) polymorphism has important clinical correlates, including disorders of lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis. This article provides a detailed methodology for apo E genotyping and discusses the link between apo E genotype and type III hyperlipoproteinemia, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although apo E genotype appears to provide significant information concerning the genetic component of CHD and AD risk, more research is needed before genotyping can be recommended as a routine screening tool. The data so far, however, implicate apo E as a major component of the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease and AD.