BACKGROUND

In comparison to persons who did not have viral encephalitis, people with viral encephalitis had a later-life risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that was 31 times higher. In a previous study, we were able to confirm the association of viral encephalitis with AD and suggest that West Nile Virus infection is a significant AD risk factor. A genome wide association study (GWAS) with UK Biobank data revealed that the gene RAR Related Orphan Receptor B (RORB) is significantly associated with viral encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE

To use data from the 8 PheWeb datasets to try to identify genes other than RORB that might be involved in both infectious encephalitis and AD.

METHODS

PheWeb includes data from UKBB and 5 other databanks. We used UK Biobank data to examine gene expression and phenotypic expression.

RESULTS

PheWeb identified additional genes associated with both infectious encephalitis and AD. RPTOR, a gene associated with the mTOR pathway, emerges as significant. Analyses of UK Biobank data reveal the impact of RPTOR on AD risk, with carriers of the minor allele A exhibiting decreased prevalence in subjects under age 55. Further analysis demonstrates that RPTOR genotypes influence body mass index (BMI) in subjects of all ages, with carriers of the minor allele A having lower BMI. Logistic regression analyses confirm the association between reduced BMI and increased AD risk, along with the established factor of age.

CONCLUSIONS

RPTOR may represent an AD gene, though mTOR's role in AD and BMI is complex. Nevertheless, RPTOR and mTOR could represent potential therapeutic targets for AD.