GENETIC RISK FACTORS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: FROM THE WELL KNOWN (APOE) TO THE CURRENTLY DESCRIBED (TREM2)

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease met more often in western societies. Research on the pathogenia and the cause of the disease includes its genetic background. In most cases the genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors affect its clinical manifestation. Therefore it is safe to assume that except for a few cases, genes cannot be causative risk factors. In the last 20 years multiple polymorphisms have been described, either protective or risk- related. This review presents all the latest and mostly studied polymorphisms related to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Two factors will be presented in more detail: ApoE (APOE ε4), which is the oldest and most studied genetic risk factor and TREM2 (rs75932628), which is a currently described polymorphism which although more rare, it is with similar risk related.