No association between BDNF gene variations and age at onset in Huntington disease
Author Information
Author(s): Mai Maren, Akkad Amer D, Wieczorek Stefan, Saft Carsten, Andrich Jürgen, Kraus Peter H, Epplen Jörg T, Arning Larissa
Primary Institution: Ruhr-University
Hypothesis
Does the BDNF gene influence the age at onset of Huntington disease?
Conclusion
The study found no significant association between BDNF gene variations and the age at onset of Huntington disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Addition of BDNF genotype variations did not affect the variance of age at onset.
- Patients with different genotypes showed no differences in age at onset.
- Expanded CAG repeats explained 50.9% of the variance in age at onset.
Takeaway
The researchers looked at a gene called BDNF to see if it affects when people get Huntington disease, but they found it doesn't make a difference.
Methodology
The study genotyped five tagging polymorphisms in the BDNF gene in a cohort of 250 unrelated German Huntington disease patients.
Potential Biases
There may be risks of bias due to admixture and the inclusion of DNA samples from relatives.
Limitations
The study may have been affected by potential selection bias and the possibility of type I errors in previous reports.
Participant Demographics
The participants were 250 unrelated German patients with clinical diagnosis of Huntington disease.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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