Abstract
Genetic variation of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) is of particular interest in the study of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), since stimulant drugs interact directly with the transporter protein. Association between ADHD and the 10-repeat allele of a 40-bp VNTR polymorphism that lies within the 3′-UTR of DAT1 was first reported in 1995, a finding that has been replicated in at least six independent samples from Caucasian populations. We analysed the DAT1 polymorphism in a sample of 110 Taiwanese probands with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD and found evidence of increased transmission of the 10-repeat allele using TRANSMIT (χ2=10.8, 1 d.f., p=0.001, OR=2.9, 95% CI 1.4–6.3). These data give rise to a similar odds ratio to that observed in Caucasian poplulations despite a far higher frequency of the risk allele in this Taiwanese population; 82.3% in the un-transmitted parental alleles and 94.5% in the ADHD probands. These data support the role of DAT1 in ADHD susceptibility among Asian populations.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the Taipei City Psychiatric Center in Taiwan and the UK Medical Research Council.
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Chen, CK., Chen, SL., Mill, J. et al. The dopamine transporter gene is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a Taiwanese sample. Mol Psychiatry 8, 393–396 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001238
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001238
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