To evaluate the genetic factors for AD among a Chinese population in Taiwan, we studied the polymorphisms of six candidate genes of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the regulatory region of apolipoprotein E (Apo-E, G-186T), the promoter of apolipoprotein E (Apo-E, A-491T), the bleomycin hydrolase gene (BH, A1450G), a mutation of alpha(2)-macroglobulin gene (A2M G2998A), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein gene (LRP, C766T), and alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin gene (ACT, -15Ala/Thr) in AD patients and non-affected elder individuals among Taiwanese Chinese. Eighty-two AD patients and 110 non-affected individuals were recruited for this study. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction enzyme digestion to identify their genotypes. The statistical examination was performed by combining the results of our previous reports - apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (ApoE-4), presenilin-1 intronic polymorphism (PS-1, allele 1/2), and the five-nucleotide deletion of alpha(2)-macroglobulin gene (A2M). Among these nine candidate genes of AD, the ApoE-4 allele is the only independent genetic risk factor for AD. The other candidate genes in this study were not associated with the occurrence of AD. In addition, there are no gene-gene interactions.