Variable number tandem repeat dopamine transporter gene polymorphism and Parkinson's disease: no association found

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 246; no. 1; pp. 45 - 47
• Main Authors: Mercier, G., Turpin, J. C., Lucotte, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.01.1999
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Female; Genetic Markers; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Transport Proteins; Middle Aged; Minisatellite Repeats - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurology; Parkinson Disease - blood; Parkinson Disease - genetics; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Genetic - genetics; France; Europe; Human; Nervous system diseases; Dopamine; Biological transport; Parkinson disease; Tandemly repeated sequence; Genetic determinism; Cerebral disorder; Allele; Gene; Central nervous system disease; Risk factor; Genetics; Degenerative disease; Extrapyramidal syndrome; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s004150050304

We studied a variable number of tandem repeat polymorphisms in the dopamine transporter gene in search of an association with Parkinson's disease in a French population. Five alleles were detected, consisting of 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 copies of the 40-base pair repeat sequence, of which the 10-copy allele was the most common. There was no significant difference between the patients and the control subjects in the distribution frequencies of the alleles or genotypes, or in ages at onset in patients between the main allelic classes.