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Transmission disequilibrium studies in early onset of obsessive–compulsive disorder for polymorphisms in genes of the dopaminergic system

  • Biological Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Original Article
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Abstract

The dopaminergic system has been shown to be involved in the aetiology of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Family studies suggest a higher genetic loading in patients with early onset OCD. Our investigation is the first family-based association study concerning polymorphisms in genes of the dopaminergic system in early onset OCD. We studied polymorphisms within the dopamine-4 receptor gene (DRD4), the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and the catecholamine-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT). Associations of alleles of DRD4 and COMT with OCD have previously been reported in adults, while a trend towards an association was found for DAT1 alleles. In our study we observed transmission disequilibrium for the 48-bp repeat polymorphism of the DRD4 gene using the ETDT (P = 0.047) in 69 trios comprising patients with early onset OCD and both of their parents. Post hoc TDT analysis of the DRD4 showed reduced transmission of the 4-repeat allele and a slightly increased transmission rate for the 7- and the 2-repeat allele. No evidence of transmission disequilibrium was detected for alleles of the DAT1 and COMT polymorphisms. These polymorphisms do not appear to play a major role in the genetic predisposition to early onset OCD in our study group.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to all participants. They would also like to thank T. Elpel and G. Ortega for their excellent technical assistance. The molecular genetic and statistical analyses were supported by WA 618/1-1 (DFG), KFO 125/1-1; 125/2-2; (DFG), SCHA 542/10-2 (DFG), and 01GR0460 (BMBF) and 01GS0482 (NGFN2). Additional support was provided by an MMW grant (Münchner Medizinische Wochenzeitschrift).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstr. 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany

    Susanne Walitza, Tobias J. Renner & Manfred Gerlach

  2. Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Germany

    André Scherag

  3. Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Bunsenstr. 3, 35037, Marburg, Germany

    André Scherag & Helmut Schafer

  4. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, 45147, Essen, Germany

    Anke Hinney

  5. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstr. 49, 35037, Marburg, Germany

    Helmut Remschmidt

  6. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann

  7. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Eberhard Schulz

  8. Deparrtment of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany

    Klaus W. Lange

  9. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Municipal Hospitals of Cologne , 51067, Cologne, Germany

    Christoph Wewetzer

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  1. Susanne Walitza
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  2. André Scherag
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  3. Tobias J. Renner
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  4. Anke Hinney
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  5. Helmut Remschmidt
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  7. Eberhard Schulz
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  8. Helmut Schafer
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  9. Klaus W. Lange
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  10. Christoph Wewetzer
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  11. Manfred Gerlach
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Correspondence to Susanne Walitza.

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Walitza, S., Scherag, A., Renner, T.J. et al. Transmission disequilibrium studies in early onset of obsessive–compulsive disorder for polymorphisms in genes of the dopaminergic system. J Neural Transm 115, 1071–1078 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0051-6

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