The parkin gene S/N167 polymorphism in Australian Parkinson's disease patients and controls

This study determined the frequencies of a G-to-A transition (S/N167) polym orphism in exon 4 of the parkin gene in Australian Parkinson's disease pati ents and control subjects. The genotype of each subject was determined usin g the polymerase chain reaction and restriction-fragment-length-polymorphis m analysis. Overall, the A allele was significantly less common in the Park inson's disease group (1.7%) compared with the control group (3.8%, OR = 0. 43, 95% CI = 0.19-1.00, P < 0.05), although the frequency in the young onse t Parkinson's disease group (6.6%) was not significantly different to contr ols. The A allele is less common in Australian Caucasian subjects compared to Japanese Parkinson's disease patients and appears to be under-represente d in older-onset Parkinson's disease. <(c)> 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.