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Genotype of apolipoprotein E has been identified in a group of randomly selected Polish subjects participating in a cross-sectional study performed within the POL-MONICA Program, the part of international study WHO-MONICA Project. The investigated group consisted of 170 persons, 92 males and 78 females aged 41–69 years (mean age 62.0 ± 5.11). The observed frequency of apolipoprotein E alleles was: ε2 – 7.6%, ε3 – 81.8% and ε4 – 10.6%, which was similar to frequencies in the neighbouring European countries. Statistically significant lower means of total cholesterol (TC) and of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in ε2 carriers and higher means of TC, of LDL-C and of triglycerides in ε4 carriers were observed as compared with noncarriers of respective alleles. Some nonlipid cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension (HT) and obesity) and coronary heart disease (CHD) showed a tendency to lower prevalence in the ε2 allele carriers as compared to noncarriers. In the ε4 allele carriers a tendency to higher prevalence of HT, but not of CHD was observed as compared to noncarriers of this allele.

In 64 individuals with dementia (26 Alzheimer type, 34 of vascular origin and 4 other types of dementia) apolipoprotein E genotype was identified. Frequency of ε4 allele was 36.5% in Alzheimer patients and 32.4% in vascular dementia ones. In a group of 39 nondemented individuals of the same age the ε4 frequency was 11.5%. In demented patients, carriers of ε4, a tendency to higher plasma levels of atherogenic lipids (total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) as compared with noncarriers was observed. It is possible that the ε4 form may aggravate the course of dementia through a moderate influence on the atherogenic lipoprotein level. The results showed that both Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia shared the same risk factors which is consistent with current opinion about a link existing between these two types of dementia.

The structural gene coding for human arylsulfatase B, ARSB, is assigned to 5p11→5qter by analysis of somatic cell hybrids isolated from two separate fusions of human fibroblasts carrying a translocation involving chromosome 5 with the Chinese hamster cell line a3.