Association of estrogen receptor β gene polymorphisms with vascular dementia in women

The objective of the present study was to explore a potential association between the estrogen receptor beta (ER beta) gene polymorphisms and vascular dementia (VaD) in women. The relationship of two polymorphisms (rs944050 and rs4986938) and their associated haplotypes in the ER beta gene with VaD were examined in 121 Chinese Han women (> 50 years of age) including 61 with VaD and 60 healthy age-matched controls. The potential associations were evaluated using unconditional logistic regression. The variant allele G of rs944050 in the ER beta gene increased the risk of VaD (odds ratio = 2.02, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-3.77). In haplotype analyses, the ER beta haplotype containing the polymorphism rs944050 variant allele and the polymorphism rs4986938 wild-type allele was associated with VaD (odds ratio = 1.70, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-2.84). The polymorphism rs944050 in the ER beta gene was associated with an increased risk of VaD in Chinese Han women. Further studies regarding the association between the ER beta gene polymorphisms and VaD are needed to confirm these findings.