The apolipoprotein gene and recovery from brain injury among extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND

Extremely preterm infants have an increased risk of brain injury and, consequently, are more likely to exhibit signs of motor, cognitive or behavioral impairment. Various factors, including genetic, may influence how the brain responds to an injury, ranging from no to complete recovery. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene codes for a protein in the brain involved in maintenance and repair of neurons.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether any of the three APOE alleles are related to improved outcome.

METHODS

A total of 87 preterm infants with birth weights less than 1,000 g and no obvious preexisting brain abnormalities were genotyped for the APOE gene; 71 of these were assessed with the Bayley III Scales at a corrected age of 12-15 months. Brain MRI was obtained on a subgroup of 52 infants at term equivalent.

RESULTS

No significant relationship was found between the three APOE alleles and developmental outcomes or brain MRI findings.

CONCLUSION

APOE does not appear to be related in a direct way to the developmental sequelae of white or gray matter injury in extremely preterm infants.