The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 156, Issue 6 , Pages 978-984.e1, June 2010

Individual and Combined Effects of ApoE and MTHFR 677C/T Polymorphisms on Cognitive Performance in Spanish Adolescents: The AVENA Study

  • Jonatan R. Ruiz, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dr Jonatan R. Ruiz, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Hälsovägen 7-9, SE-141 57 Huddinge, Sweden.
    • ,
  • Ruth Castillo, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Málaga, Spain
    • ,
  • Idoia Labayen, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain
    • ,
  • Luis A. Moreno, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
    • ,
  • Miguel García Fuentes, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
    • ,
  • Domingo González Lamuño, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
    • ,
  • Jesus L. Alvarez Granda, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
    • ,
  • Alejandro Lucia, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
    • ,
  • Francisco B. Ortega, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
    • Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain
    • ,
  • AVENA Study Group

Received 17 July 2009; received in revised form 25 September 2009; accepted 9 December 2009. published online 11 March 2010.

Objective

To examine the individual and combined associations of ApoE and MTHFR 677C/T polymorphisms with cognitive performance in adolescents.

Study design

The study comprised 412 Spanish adolescents (13 to 18.5 years of age). Cognitive performance (verbal, numeric and reasoning abilities, and an overall score) was measured by the Spanish-version of the SRA-Test of Educational-Ability.

Results

We observed no differences in the cognitive performance study variables in adolescents carrying or not carrying the ApoE ε4 variant. Adolescents without the MTHFR 677TT genotype had significantly better cognitive performance than their TT peers. The analysis of the combined effect of these polymorphisms revealed that those individuals carrying both the ApoE ε4 variant and the MTHFR 677TT genotype had significantly worse cognitive performance than their peers with other genotype combinations. These findings were independent of sex, age pubertal status, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and skipping breakfast.

Conclusions

The results of the present study suggest that the ApoE ε4 alone is not associated with cognitive performance in adolescents. Individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype had slightly impaired cognitive performance, whereas we observed a combined effect of both the ApoE ε4 variant and the MTHFR 677TT genotype on cognitive performance. More research is needed in larger population samples to corroborate our findings.

AVENA, [Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional de los Adolescentes Españoles (Food and Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Spanish Adolescents)] Study, ANCOVA, One-way analysis of covariance, ApoE, Apolipoprotein E, IQ, Intelligence quotient, MTHFR, 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, PCR, Polymerase chain reaction, TEA, Test of Educational Ability

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 Supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS No. 00/0015), grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education (EX-2007-1124; EX-2008-0641), grants from Panrico S.A., Madaus S.A., and Procter and Gamble S.A, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS), the ALPHA study, a European Union–funded study, in the framework of the Public Health Programme (Ref: 2006120) the Spanish Ministry of Health: Maternal, Child Health and Development Network (No. RD08/0072). The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

PII: S0022-3476(09)01247-5

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.12.018

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 156, Issue 6 , Pages 978-984.e1, June 2010

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