HIV-infected subjects with the E4 allele for APOE have excess dementia and peripheral neuropathy
Corder EH, Robertson K, Lannfelt L, Bogdanovic N, Eggertsen G, Wilkins J, Hall C.. Nature medicine, 1998-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
HIV produces a chronic viral infection of the central nervous system that elicits chronic glial activation and overexpression of glial cytokines that are also implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. A genetic risk factor for AD is the E4 isoform for apolipoprotein E (APOE). Here we compare the frequency of neurologic symptoms for subjects with and without the E4 isoform (E4(+)and E4(-), respectively) in an HIV cohort. Compared with E4(-) subjects, twice as many E4(+) subjects were demented (30% compared with 15%) or had peripheral neuropathy (70% compared with 39%) at least once, and they had threefold more symptomatic examinations (13% compared with 3% and 42% compared with 14%, respectively)(P < 0.0001). Thus, neurologic symptoms for HIV-infection and AD are linked through an etiologic risk factor. Long-term survivors of HIV infection with E4 may be at high risk for AD; conversely, gene-viral interactions may speed AD pathogenesis.
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APA 7th
Corder, E. H., Robertson, K., Lannfelt, L., Bogdanovic, N., Eggertsen, G., Wilkins, J., et al. (1998). HIV-infected subjects with the E4 allele for APOE have excess dementia and peripheral neuropathy. Nature medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/2677
Vancouver
Corder EH, Robertson K, Lannfelt L, Bogdanovic N, Eggertsen G, Wilkins J, et al. HIV-infected subjects with the E4 allele for APOE have excess dementia and peripheral neuropathy. Nature medicine. 1998. doi:10.1038/2677. PMID: 9771753.
BibTeX
@article{corder1998-9771753,
author = {Corder, E. H. and Robertson, K. and Lannfelt, L. and Bogdanovic, N. and Eggertsen, G. and Wilkins, J. and Hall, C.},
title = {{HIV-infected subjects with the E4 allele for APOE have excess dementia and peripheral neuropathy}},
journal = {Nature medicine},
year = {1998},
doi = {10.1038/2677},
pmid = {9771753},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/2677}
}
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Key findings
- Compared with E4(-) subjects, twice as many E4(+) subjects were demented (30% compared with 15%) or had peripheral neuropathy (70% compared with 39%) at least once, and they had threefold more symptomatic examinations (13% compared with 3% and 42% compared with 14%, respectively)(P < 0.0001).
Why it matters
In people with HIV, those carrying the APOE E4 version were about twice as likely to have dementia and more likely to have peripheral neuropathy. This links a known Alzheimer's risk factor to neurologic symptoms in another condition, but it does not provide a treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Nature medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Medicine: journal h-index 763 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1998 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 251 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.4 citations a year over 30 year(s) since 1998 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Colin D. Hall: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: institution h-index 1,674 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9771753) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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