The K Variant of the Butyrylcholinesterase Gene Is Associated with Reduced Phosphorylation of Tau in Dementia Patients

Vol. 19, No. 5-6, 2005

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Original Research Article

The K Variant of the Butyrylcholinesterase Gene Is Associated with Reduced Phosphorylation of Tau in Dementia Patients
Clive Ballard^a, Christopher Morris^b, Rajesh Kalaria^b, Ian McKeith^c, Robert Perry^d, Elaine Perry^b

^aWolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guys Campus, Kings College London, London,
^bMRC Building,
^cWolfson Research Centre, and
^dDepartment of Neuropathology, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2005;19:357-360 (DOI: 10.1159/000084705)

Key Words

Butyrylcholinesterase
K genotype
Alzheimer's disease
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Phosphorylated tau
Amyloid-
Temporal cortex

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) plays an important role in the progression of cognitive deficits and Alzheimer-type pathology in dementia patients. We examined the relationship between the K variant of BuChE and the severity of deposits of amyloid (A beta _1-42) and phosphorylated tau in the temporal cortex (BA36) of 30 prospectively studied autopsy-diagnosed dementia (Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) patients. There was 42% less phosphorylated tau in BA36 in cases with 1 K compared with those with wild-type BuChE alleles (t = 2.2, p = 0.039), but no difference in the extent of A beta _1-42 deposition. BuChE may play this role in the phosphorylation of tau, relevant to therapeutic inhibition of the enzyme.

Author Contacts

Prof. Elaine Perry
MRC Building
Newcastle General Hospital
Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE (UK)
Tel. +44 191 444 4416, Fax +44 191 444 4402, E-Mail e.k.perry@ncl.ac.uk

Article Information

Accepted: September 9, 2004
Published online: March 30, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 18

Medline Abstract (ID 15802910)

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