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

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Abstract

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.

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Abbreviations

ADHD:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

DRD4 :

Dopamine receptor D4

DAT1 :

Dopamine transporter

VNTR:

Variable number tandem repeats

DSM-5:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

UTR:

Untranslated region

R:

Repeat

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Funding

The project was funded by National Health and Education Society (NHES), P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Laboratories, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai, 400016, India

    Ashley Stanley, A. Subramanian & T. F. Ashavaid

  2. Department of Medicine, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai, 400016, India

    K. Chavda

  3. Department of Pediatrics, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai, 400016, India

    S. V. Prabhu

  4. Biochemistry Section, Department of Laboratory Medicine, S-1, Lalitha Girdhar Annexe Building, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai, 400016, India

    T. F. Ashavaid

Authors
  1. Ashley Stanley
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  2. K. Chavda
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  3. A. Subramanian
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  4. S. V. Prabhu
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  5. T. F. Ashavaid
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. F. Ashavaid.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no potential conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent from all the parents of the study subjects and research assent from children above the age of eight was obtained.

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Stanley, A., Chavda, K., Subramanian, A. et al. DRD4 and DAT1 VNTR Genotyping in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ind J Clin Biochem 32, 239–242 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-016-0587-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-016-0587-4

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