Genetic variants of α-synuclein are not associated with essential tremor.
BACKGROUND
Given the overlap between Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, we examined genetic variants in α-synuclein (SNCA) as risk determinants for essential tremor.


METHODS
Samples from 661 essential tremor subjects and 1316 control subjects from 4 participating North American sites were included in this study. Parkinson's disease samples (n = 427) were compared against controls. Twenty variants were selected for association analysis within the SNCA locus. Individual logistic regression analyses against essential tremor diagnosis were run for each variant and then combined using meta-analysis.


RESULTS
Our results do not show a significant association between variants in the SNCA locus and risk of essential tremor, whereas the established association of SNCA variants with Parkinson's disease risk was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Whereas genetic factors are likely to play a large role in essential tremor pathogenesis, our results do not support a role for common SNCA genetic variants in risk for essential tremor.
Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Owen A
OA
Ross
Karen N
KN
Conneely
Tao
T
Wang
Carles
C
Vilarino-Guell
Alexandra I
AI
Soto-Ortolaza
Alex
A
Rajput
Zbigniew K
ZK
Wszolek
Ryan J
RJ
Uitti
Elan D
ED
Louis
Lorraine N
LN
Clark
Matthew J
MJ
Farrer
Claudia M
CM
Testa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051844:alpha-Synuclein