Dopaminergic candidate genes in Tourette syndrome: Association between tic severity and 3′ UTR polymorphism of the dopamine transporter gene

Abstract

Multiple evidence suggests an involvement of the dopamine neurotransmitter system in Tourette syndrome (TS). Therefore, dopaminergic candidate genes are in the center of genetic association analyses of TS. In this study, 103 TS patients and their parents have been characterized for different dopamine-related polymorphisms including the 48 bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene, the 40 bp VNTR of the dopamine transporter (DAT1, SLC6A3) gene and the Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. In addition, the 120 bp duplication and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were assessed in the promoter region of the DRD4 gene. The -616G allele and the 2-G-A-C haplotype (i.e., the 2-repeat form of the 120 bp sequence approximately -616G approximately -615A approximately -521C combination) were preferentially transmitted, however, these results did not remain significant after correction for multiple testing. Case-control analyses have also been carried out, resulting in negative findings. On the other hand, using a dimensional approach, the DAT1 40 bp VNTR showed an association with the peak tic-severity as measured by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Patients with at least one copy of the 9-repeat allele had significantly more severe symptoms than individuals with the homozygous 10/10 genotype (P = 0.002). In summary, allele frequencies did not differ between cases and controls, but DAT1 genotype accounted for variations of tic severity within the TS group.