DRD4 and DAT1 VNTR Genotyping in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

摘要

The dopamine receptor-D4 and the dopamine transporter have been investigated for their role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Reports of their genetic association with ADHD have shown mixed results. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) of the DRD4 and DAT1 genes with ADHD in children. A pilot 1:1 case control study, with 44 clinically confirmed ADHD cases and 44 age/gender matched healthy controls, was conducted at a tertiary care centre in Mumbai. Variable number tandem repeats of DRD4 exon 3, DAT1 intron 8 and 3′UTR were genotyped by PCR-AGE. Several allele repeats of the genes were observed in the screened subjects. Statistical significance was observed for the 10R/10R genotype of the DAT1 3′UTR VNTR between cases and controls.