Analysis of polymorphisms in the alpha-subunit of the olfactory G-protein Golf in lithium-treated bipolar patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the alpha-subunit of the olfactory G-protein (G(olf)) as a possible candidate gene for bipolar disorder. The alpha-subunit of the G(olf) gene maps to a region on chromosome 18p that has been implicated in several linkage studies as a potential site of a bipolar disorder susceptibility loci.


METHODS
We investigated whether two polymorphisms in the alpha-subunit of the G(olf) gene (A-->G in intron 3 and T-->G in intron 10) are associated with bipolar disorder in a sample of 149 bipolar patients under lithium treatment compared with 139 healthy controls using haplotype analysis.


RESULTS
There was no evidence for an association between the investigated polymorphisms in the G(olf) gene and bipolar disorders, as well as to response to lithium treatment or common side effects, like hand tremor, weight gain and cognitive dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study do not support the hypothesis that the G(olf) gene is a major susceptibility factor for bipolar disorders.
Zill
Peter
P
Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Peter.Zill@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
Malitas
Petros N
PN
Bondy
Brigitta
B
Engel
Rolf
R
Boufidou
Fotini
F
Behrens
Stefanie
S
Alevizos
Basil E
BE
Nikolaou
Chryssoula K
CK
Christodoulou
George N
GN
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D012016:Reference Values; D013431:Sulfates / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; D018020:Lithium Compounds; D021122:Protein Subunits; D013431:Sulfates; C084618:olfactory G protein subunit alpha olf; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; C054097:lithium sulfate; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins