Haptoglobin phenotype and apolipoprotein E polymorphism: relationship to posttraumatic seizures and neuropsychological functioning after traumatic brain injury

Epilepsy Behav. 2009 Nov;16(3):501-6. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.08.025. Epub 2009 Sep 18.

Abstract

The relationship of genetic predisposition to reduced iron capacity and apolipoprotein E (APOE) to posttraumatic seizures (PTSs) and neuropsychological outcomes was investigated in patients with traumatic brain injuries from a prior valproate clinical study. Haptoglobin concentration/phenotype and APOE genotype were determined in 25 patients with PTSs and 26 control (no PTSs) subjects approximately 10 years after traumatic brain injury. Haptoglobin phenotype was also determined in previously collected frozen samples for 25 additional patients with PTSs and 32 no-PTS subjects. There was no relationship between haptoglobin phenotype or APOE genotype and occurrence of PTSs. APOE genotype was not related to neuropsychological outcome; however, when adjustments were made for differences in educational levels, APOE epsilon4 subjects did worse, especially on tests of verbal intellectual and verbal memory skills. In contrast to our hypothesis, those with haptoglobin 1-1 (high-affinity binder of hemoglobin) scored somewhat worse on Verbal IQ and Tapping D at 1 and 12 months after injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Apolipoproteins E / genetics*
  • Brain Injuries* / blood
  • Brain Injuries* / complications
  • Brain Injuries* / genetics
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Cognition Disorders* / blood
  • Cognition Disorders* / etiology
  • Cognition Disorders* / genetics
  • Female
  • Haptoglobins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seizures* / blood
  • Seizures* / etiology
  • Seizures* / genetics
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Haptoglobins