DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER GENE POLYMORPHISM AND PSYCHIATRIC-SYMPTOMS SEEN IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS AT THEIR FIRST EPISODE

To investigate the possible role of the dopamine transporter (DAT) gen e in determining the phenotype in human subjects, allele frequencies f or the 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism at this site were compared between 117 Japanese normal controls and 118 s chizophrenic patients, including six subgroups: early-onset, those wit h a family history, and those suffering from one of the following psyc hiatric symptoms at their first episode: delusion and hallucination; d isorganization; bizarre behavior; and negative symptoms. No significan t differences were observed between the group as a whole or any subgro up of schizophrenic patients and controls, The results indicate that V NTR polymorphism in the DAT gene is unlikely to be a major contributor to any of the psychiatric parameters examined in the present populati on of schizophrenic subjects. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.