MOLECULAR-GENETICS OF NOCTURNAL ENURESIS - CLINICAL AND GENETIC-HETEROGENEITY

Forty-two children with nocturnal enuresis (27 with primary, 4 with se condary nocturnal enuresis and 11 with combined primary nocturnal enur esis and daytime wetting) were selected retrospectively from a study o f 167 consecutive children with enuresis. The aim of the study was to collect formal genetic data, perform molecular genetic linkage-analyse s with five microsatellite markers on chromosomes 13q, 12q or 8q and s pecify the associations between genetic findings and clinical, as well as psychiatric diagnoses. Positive linkage of nocturnal enuresis to o ne of the microsatellite markers was possible in 27 children from 23 f amilies and was not possible in 15 children. Somatic findings in both the groups with and without possible assignment of nocturnal enuresis to a marker were heterogeneous. Psychiatrically, a low rate of behavio ural problems was apparent. These findings support the hypothesis of g enetic and phenotypical heterogeneity of nocturnal enuresis, without l inkage of specific psychiatric and somatic phenotypes to certain chrom osome markers.