title: Analysis of polymorphisms in the alpha-subunit of the olfactory G-protein Golf in lithium-treated bipolar patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Peter.Zill@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zill
authors.forename: Petros N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Malitas
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bondy
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boufidou
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: Basil E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Alevizos
authors.forename: Chryssoula K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: George N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: 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