Serum folic acid and RFC A80G polymorphism in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2014 Feb;29(1):38-44. doi: 10.1177/1533317513505131.

Abstract

Low level of vitamin B12 and folic acid has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Serum folic acid and vitamin B12 were assayed in 80 AD and 50 VaD cases and in 120 healthy controls. The reduced folate carrier (RFC1) gene, rs1051266, which encodes the RFC 1, protein was analyzed for polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. It was observed that the patients having folic acid <8.45 ng/mL had 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-4.5) times higher odds of having AD and 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1-4.2) times higher odds of having VaD than patients having folic acid ≥8.45 ng/mL. Serum vitamin B12 level did not show any such statistically significant effect in altering the odds. No direct association was found between variant (G) allele or genotype of rs1051266 with AD and VaD cases. On serum folate level no association was observed with gene polymorphism.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; RFC A80G; folic acid; polymorphism; vascular dementia; vitamin B12.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / blood
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Dementia, Vascular / blood
  • Dementia, Vascular / genetics*
  • Female
  • Folic Acid / blood*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / genetics*
  • Reduced Folate Carrier Protein / genetics*
  • Vitamin B 12 / blood*

Substances

  • Reduced Folate Carrier Protein
  • SLC19A1 protein, human
  • Folic Acid
  • Vitamin B 12