Apolipoprotein E and B alleles in Parkinson's patients.

Parkinson's patients were genotyped for the apolipoprotein E alleles as well as polymorphisms at the apolipoprotein B loci to determine whether they were at risk for late onset Alzheimer's disease or coronary disease. The Parkinson's patients were at no greater risk for either disease than were the control spouses. The frequency for the APOE4 allele was 11% compared with the spouses, 10%. Interestingly, 20% of the patients had the 2/3 genotype which may have a protective effect from late onset Alzheimer's disease.