Depression and APOEε4 Status in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associative role of depression and apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele (APOEε4) in subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and its progression to objective cognitive decline. METHODS: After literature search in electronic databases, studies were selected by following precise eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses were performed to examine the role of APOEε4 and depression in SCD or its progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. RESULTS: APOEε4 positivity was not different between SCD and normal individuals but was significantly higher in individuals with SCD plus than in normal individuals [odds ratio: 2.39 (95% CI: 1.87, 3.05); p<0.00001] and in SCD converters than in non-converters [odds ratio: 5.19 (95% CI: 2.36, 11.42); p<0.00001]. Depression was significantly higher in individuals with SCD [standardized mean difference: 0.63 (0.45, 0.82); p<0.00001] and SCD plus [standardized mean difference: 0.83 (0.43, 1.22); p<0.0001] than in normal individuals. However, depression was not different between SCD and MCI or between SCD converters and non-converters. Age of SCD converters was higher than non-converters [mean difference: 2.95 years (0.58, 5.31)]. CONCLUSION: Whereas APOEε4 positivity was higher in SCD plus and SCD converters, depression was higher in SCD and SCD plus but was not different between SCD and MCI.

Associations of ß-Fibrinogen Polymorphisms with the Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the roles of ß-fibrinogen (FGß) polymorphisms in ischemic stroke (IS) were intensively analyzed, but the results of these studies were inconsistent. Thus, we performed this study to better assess potential relationship between FGß polymorphisms and the risk of IS. METHODS: Eligible studies were searched in PubMed, Medline, Embase, and CNKI. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate correlations between FGß polymorphisms and IS. RESULTS: A total of 49 studies were included for analyses. Significant associations with the risk of IS were detected for FGß -148 C/T and -455 G/A polymorphisms in overall analyses. Further subgroup analyses according to ethnicities of participants revealed that the -148 C/T polymorphism was significantly correlated with the risk of IS in both Asians and Caucasians, while the -455 G/A polymorphism was only significantly correlated with the risk of IS in Asians. When we stratified available data according to types of disease, we found that both FGß -148 C/T and -455 G/A polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the risk of cerebral infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that FGß -148 C/T and -455 G/A polymorphisms may serve as potential biological markers for IS in Asians. Moreover, the FGß -148 C/T polymorphism may also serve as a potential biological marker for IS in Caucasians.

Prognostic Utility of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Acute Ischemic Stroke.

The role of fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) in atherosclerosis has been investigated. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that higher levels of serum fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) could be a prognostic factor in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS). From September 2015 to August 2016, consecutive first-ever AIS patients combined with T2DM were included in this study. FABP4, NIH stroke scale (NIHSS), and conventional risk factors were evaluated to determine their value to predict functional outcomes within 3 months. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. We measured FABP4 in 329 patients. The median age of patients included in this study was 63 (IQR, 56-72) years and 45.9% were women. FABP4 serum levels were obtained at a median of 8.5 h (IQR, 4.0-14.0 h) after the stroke onset with a median value of 21.4 ng/ml (IQR, 15.6-28.2 ng/ml). In multivariable models, FABP4 remained an independent stroke severity predictor with an adjusted OR of 1.05 (95% CI, 1.02-1.09). In multivariate models comparing the third (odd ratio (OR), 2.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.59-3.54) and fourth quartiles (OR, 3.75; 95% CI, 2.48-5.03) against the first quartile of the FABP4, levels of FABP4 were associated with poor functional outcome. At 3 months, 38 patients (11.6%; 95%CI, 8.1-15.0%) had died. The mortality distribution across the FABP4 quartiles ranged between 3.7% (first quartile) and 20.7% (fourth quartile). Elevation of FABP4 is associated with an increased risk of death and poor functional outcome events in patients with type 2 diabetes and acute ischemic stroke and is independent of other established clinical risk predictors and biomarkers.

Anti-neuroinflammation effect of ginsenoside Rbl in a rat model of Alzheimer disease.

The present work explored the anti-neuroinflammation effects of Ginseng Rb1 in a rat model of Alzheimer disease produced by ventricle injection of Aß1-42. Aß1-42 injection induces loss of learning and memory behavior of rats in Morris water maze, which could be reversed with Rb1 treatment. Further, Rb1 reversed the changes in several direct or indirect neuroinflammation markers in the hippocampus, suggesting that this could be a potential underlying mechanism and a way to develop anti-aging drugs.