Association Between Polymorphisms of the Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Gene and Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease

The insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) gene is a strong positional and biological candidate for late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) susceptibility, with recent studies independently demonstrating an association between IDE gene variants and LOAD. However, previous data have been controversial. To investigate the relationship between IDE gene polymorphisms and LOAD risk, a case-control association study of 406 Han Chinese participants in Xinjiang, China, was undertaken. The LOAD and control groups consisted of 202 and 204 participants, respectively. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs1887922 and rs1999764 of the IDE gene were linked to LOAD incidence. The presence of the CT + CC genotype of rs1999764 had a protective effect compared to the TT genotype (adjusted P = .0001; odds ratio [OR] = 0.226; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.116-0.441), while the CT + CC genotype of rs1887922 was associated with increased LOAD risk (adjusted P = .0001; OR = 3.640; 95% CI = 1.889-7.016). Moreover, the effects of rs1887922 and rs1999764 were associated with LOAD risk independent of the apolipoprotein E 4 polymorphism and were more significant in men and women, respectively. These results demonstrate that the polymorphisms rs1887922 and rs1999764 of the IDE gene are associated with LOAD susceptibility in the Xinjiang Han population.