Association between interleukin 1‐β promoter (−511) polymorphism and depressive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease

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Abstract
Depressive symptoms have been associated with raised interleukin 1‐β (IL‐1β) plasma levels. The presence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease, including depressive symptoms, have been shown to be influenced by common genetic polymorphisms. A common polymorphism in the promoter region of IL‐1β has been linked to altered synthesis of IL‐1β. We hypothesize that this common genetic polymorphism is a risk factor for the appearance of depressive symptoms in AD. A total of 133 subjects, diagnosed as probable AD and 156 controls were genotyped for the −511 variant of IL‐1β. Neither genotype or allele frequencies differed between the AD and control group. However, an allelic association was found between the T variant and the symptoms of depression in AD subjects. Genotypic analysis showed that heterozygotes were three times more likely to develop depressive symptoms than CC homozygotes.