Replication studies in longevity: puzzling findings in Danish centenarians at the 3'APOB-VNTR locus

Ann Hum Genet. 2001 Jul;65(Pt 4):371-6. doi: 10.1017/S0003480001008715.

Abstract

In Danes we replicated the 3'APOB-VNTR gene/longevity association study previously carried out in Italians, by which the Small alleles (less than 35 repeats) had been identified as frailty alleles for longevity. In Danes, neither genotype nor allele frequencies differed between centenarians and 20-64-year-old subjects. However, when Danish and Italian data were compared, a significant difference (p = 0.0004) was found between the frequencies of Small alleles in youths, which disappeared in centenarians (p = 0.290). Furthermore, the demographic-genetic approach revealed in Danes a significant gene-sex interaction relevant to Long alleles (more than 37 repeats). The different findings in Denmark and Italy suggest that gene/longevity associations are population-specific, and heavily affected by the population-specific genetic and environmental history.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alleles
  • Apolipoproteins B / genetics*
  • DNA / analysis
  • DNA / genetics
  • Demography
  • Denmark
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency / genetics
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Longevity / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Minisatellite Repeats / genetics*
  • Models, Genetic
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Risk
  • Sex Characteristics

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins B
  • DNA