title: [Distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of dopamine D4 receptor gene 48 bp variable number tandem repeat polymorphism in Chinese Han population in Hunan].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of the dopamine D4 receptor(DRD4) gene exon 3 48 bp variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in Hunan Han population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The genotype and alleles of 304 healthy persons were examined with polymerase chain reaction, denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven alleles and twelve genotypes were found. The most common allele was allele 5 with a frequency of 70.6%. There was statistically significant difference in allele distribution between the Hunan Han population and the Han population of other regions such as Shanghai, Beijing and Sichuan in China (P< 0.05). Different allele frequency distributions were observed when compared to other ethnic populations such as Japanese, American, Mexican, and Italian (P< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distributions of allele of DRD4 gene exhibit regional and ethnic heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011 PR China.
authors.forename: Ai-ling
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jing-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yu-hu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bei-sha
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhe-ning
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4