Vascular dementia and BACE1 rs638405 genotyping analysis

Background. The epidemic growth of dementia causes great concern for society. It is customary to consider Alzheimer’s disease as the most common cause of dementia. Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia and a major health concern worldwide. This study purposed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairments in patients with vascular dementia, determine their severity, and conduct laboratory tests to identify alleles and genotypes susceptible to cognitive dysfunction. This research will significantly contribute to the early diagnosis of the condition. Preventive measures will be outlined, and appropriate treatment and assistance methods will be established. Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the Medcenter Clinic in Batumi, involving patients aged 25 to 80. Participants were enrolled voluntarily after receiving appropriate explanations and obtaining the proper recommendation from the Ethical Committee of the Medcenter Clinic. A total of 32 patients — 18 (56.25 %) women, 14 (43.75 %) men — with vascular dementia and 42 control subjects were examined. The state of the brain and cerebral vessels were assessed using duplex scanning, magnetic resonance imaging, or computed tomography. Additionally, cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood were measured. The control group consisted of individuals with no previously recorded disease history. Among the patients studied, 15 (46.88 %) had a history of cerebral infarction within 6 months, hemorrhagic stroke was in 9 patients (28.12 %), cerebrovascular disease — in 8 (25 %) patients. All of them were examined by the Hachinski Ishaemic Scale and cognitive impairment was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results. Genotyping of 32 patients with vascular dementia and 42 control individuals was conducted using the TaqMan assay for the G/C polymorphism (rs638405) of the BACE1 gene. The results indicated that the genotype and allele frequencies in both control individuals and patients were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. GG genotype and G allele of BACE1 gene’s rs638405 polymorphism are not associated with increased risk of developing the disease in patients with cerebrovascular dementia (p = 0.1360; p = 0.1937, respectively). No statistically significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies were observed between vascular dementia patients and control individuals. Conclusions. Early diagnosis and improving the quality of life of patients and their family members present significant societal challenges. Therefore, it is necessary to develop educational programs for medical personnel to support patients from the moment of diagnosis through the completion of treatment.