AUTHOR=Kim Hang-Rai , Jung Sang-Hyuk , Kim Beomsu , Kim Jaeho , Jang Hyemin , Kim Jun Pyo , Kim So Yeon , Na Duk L. , Kim Hee Jin , Nho Kwangsik , Won Hong-Hee , Seo Sang Won 

TITLE=Identifying genetic variants for amyloid β in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1160536

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2023.1160536

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>The genetic basis of amyloid β (Aβ) deposition in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) is still unknown. Here, we investigated genetic variants involved in Aβ deposition in patients with SVCI.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We recruited a total of 110 patients with SVCI and 424 patients with Alzheimer’s disease-related cognitive impairment (ADCI), who underwent Aβ positron emission tomography and genetic testing. Using candidate AD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were previously identified, we investigated Aβ-associated SNPs that were shared or distinct between patients with SVCI and those with ADCI. Replication analyses were performed using the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project cohorts (ROS/MAP).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>We identified a novel SNP, rs4732728, which showed distinct associations with Aβ positivity in patients with SVCI (<italic>P</italic><sub><italic>interaction</italic></sub> = 1.49 × 10<sup>–5</sup>); rs4732728 was associated with increased Aβ positivity in SVCI but decreased Aβ positivity in ADCI. This pattern was also observed in ADNI and ROS/MAP cohorts. Prediction performance for Aβ positivity in patients with SVCI increased (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.780; 95% confidence interval = 0.757–0.803) when rs4732728 was included. Cis-expression quantitative trait loci analysis demonstrated that rs4732728 was associated with <italic>EPHX2</italic> expression in the brain (normalized effect size = −0.182, <italic>P</italic> = 0.005).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The novel genetic variants associated with <italic>EPHX2</italic> showed a distinct effect on Aβ deposition between SVCI and ADCI. This finding may provide a potential pre-screening marker for Aβ positivity and a candidate therapeutic target for SVCI.</p></sec>