Apolipoprotein E alleles in women with pre-eclampsia

Aims-To investigate the frequency of three apolipoprotein E (apoE) alleles among women with pre-eclampsia. Methods-The presence of the three most common apoE alleles (epsilon2, epsilon3, epsilon4) was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in two groups of women: healthy pregnant women (n = 91) and pregnant women with a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia (n = 133). In addition, the frequencies of the alleles in the general population in this area are presented for comparison. Results-The frequency of the apo epsilon4 allele was 18.4% among women with pre-eclampsia and 18.7% among healthy pregnant women (Fisher's exact test; p = 0.941), which is close to the rate in the general population in this area (19%). None of the apolipoprotein E genotypes was significantly over-represented, and homozygous genotype epsilon4 was not associated with more severe clinical disease than were the other genotypes. Conclusion-The observed profiles of allele and genotype frequencies confirm an equilibrium state between apoE polymorphism and pre-eclampsia and suggest that apoE does not play a major role in the development of pre-eclampsia.