Apolipoprotein ε alleles in sporadic inclusion body myositis: A reappraisal

Needham, M., Hooper, A., James, I., van Bockxmeer, F., Corbett, A., Day, T., Garlepp, M.J. and Mastaglia, F.L. (2008) Apolipoprotein ε alleles in sporadic inclusion body myositis: A reappraisal. Neuromuscular Disorders, 18 (2). pp. 150-152.

Abstract

Previous studies have differed as to whether APOE ε4 is a susceptibility factor for developing sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), with a positive association being found only in an Australian cohort of cases. We have now re-examined this in a larger cohort of 57 sIBM cases and have also carried out a meta-analysis of all the published studies looking for evidence of a risk association or effect of APOEalleles on disease expression. Our findings argue against a specific role for any APOEalleles in conferring susceptibility to sIBM but have demonstrated a non-significant trend towards an earlier age-of-onset in patients with the ε2allele.