The ADAM10 gene encodes a member of a disintegrin and metalloprotease family, which, after overexpression in Alzheimer's disease (AD), prevents amyloid pathology and improves long-term potentiation and memory. A common polymorphism (rs2305421) within ADAM10 has been recently associated with the risk of developing AD in Europeans. In order to assess the involvement of the ADAM10 polymorphism in the risk of developing late-onset AD (LOAD), we analyzed the genotype and allele distributions of the ADAM10 (rs2305421) polymorphism in 788 Northern Han Chinese subjects. The results revealed no significant differences in the distributions of allele or genotype between LOAD and control groups. However, when these data were stratified by the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 status, in the subjects with ApoE ε4, there were significant differences in the allele (P=0.037) and genotype (P=0.035). Moreover, logistic regression analysis revealed that the rs2305421 polymorphism presented strong associations with LOAD in the recessive model (OR=0.611, 95% CI=0.408-0.931, P=0.023). This study suggests that the rs2305421 polymorphism in ADAM10 gene could modify the risk for LOAD in a Northern Han Chinese population.
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