Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated an integrated genomic convergence and network analysis approach to identify the candidate genes associated with the complex neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we performed a pilot study to validate the in silico approach by studying the association of genetic variants from three identified critical genes, APOE, EGFR, and ACTB, with AD. A total of 103 patients with AD and 146 healthy controls were recruited. A total of 46 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the three genes were genotyped, of which only 19 SNPs were included in the final analyses after excluding non-polymorphic and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium-violating SNPs. Apart from our previously reported APOE ε4, four other SNPs in APOE (rs405509, rs7259620, -rs769449, and rs7256173), one in EGFR (rs6970262), and one in ACTB (rs852423) showed a significant association with AD (p < 0.05). Our results validate the reliability of genomic convergence and network analysis approach in identifying the AD-associated candidate genes.