ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the presence of ApoE4 and the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Eighty-seven adult patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery were observed prospectively at a university tertiary care hospital. All patients were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) for cognitive function and mental status preoperatively, 24 h after surgery and at postoperative day 6. Patients were genotyped for the ApoE polymorphism. The association between ApoE genotype and MMSE evolution was studied by using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Both the presence of at least one ApoE4 allele and POCD were verified in 21.8% of subjects. The presence of the ApoE4 allele was significantly associated with a worse MMSE score evolution (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: This study suggests an association between ApoE4 and early POCD, but further studies are needed to clarify a causative association. Such new studies should include a more homogenous patient sample and a longer follow-up.
