Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping in the Northern Ireland COhort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA)

OBJECTIVES: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) status was determined by directly genotyping the genetic variants, rs7412 and rs429358 in the Northern Ireland COhort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA), harnessing blood-derived DNA. This data was generated on a subset of participants (n = 2947) within the NICOLA cohort. DATA DESCRIPTION: The NICOLA study recruited approximately 8500 people from across Northern Ireland, with individuals recruited representative of the Northern Ireland population. At baseline, 45% of participants were male and 55% were female. Adults were recruited over the age of 50, with approximately 50% of participants aged between 50 and 65, and 10% of participants over the age of 80. APOE status was determined for 2947 individuals (47.6% male). The APOE protein has three major isoforms (ɛ2, ɛ3, and ɛ4), determined from the direct genotyping of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) SNPs, rs7412 and rs429358.