The homozygote 10-copy genotype of variable number tandem repeat dopamine transporter gene may confer protection against Parkinson's disease for male, but not to female patients.

Abstract

We investigated the role of variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT) in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) in Taiwanese. A case-control study was carried out to examine the association of the VNTR polymorphism within the DAT between 193 sporadic PD patients and 254 controls, matched by age and sex. Six alleles of VNTR polymorphism in the DAT, consisting of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 copies of the 40-base-pair (bp) repeat sequence, were detected in the study. There were no differences of allele frequency (chi(2)=5.239, p=0.387) and genotype polymorphism of the DAT VNTR (chi(2)=11.873, p=0.157) in PD patients from the controls. Further analysis stratified by sex and age at onset did not show associations. However, PD patients carrying homozygote 10-copy genotype of the DAT VNTR polymorphism were 0.67 times fewer than controls (chi(2)=4.569, odds radio (OR)=0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.45-0.97, p=0.033). The reduced risk of the homozygosity with PD genotype was only in male PD patients (chi(2)=2.923, OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.25-0.93, p=0.026), but not in female PD patients (chi(2)=0.002, OR=1.02, 95% CI=0.49-2.11, p=0.966). In conclusion, the results of our study show that homozygote 10-copy genotype of the VNTR polymorphism within the DAT may confer a protective factor for male PD patients, but not for female PD patients.

• Authors: Juei-Jueng Lin, Kuo-Chu Yueh, Dar-Cheng Chang, Chung-Yao Chang, Yung-Hsiang Yeh, Shinn-Zong Lin
• Journal: Journal of the neurological sciences (J Neurol Sci) Vol. 209 Issue 1-2 Pg. 87-92 (May 15 2003) ISSN: 0022-510X [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 12686408 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
• Membrane Glycoproteins
• Membrane Transport Proteins
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• SLC6A3 protein, human

Topics

• 3' Flanking Region
• Age of Onset
• Aged
• Alleles
• Case-Control Studies
• Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
• Female
• Gene Dosage
• Gene Frequency
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Genotype
• Homozygote
• Humans
• Male
• Membrane Glycoproteins
• Membrane Transport Proteins (genetics)
• Middle Aged
• Minisatellite Repeats (genetics)
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Odds Ratio
• Parkinson Disease (epidemiology, genetics)
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Risk Assessment
• Sex Factors
• Taiwan (epidemiology)
• Tandem Repeat Sequences (genetics)