Lack of association of childhood partial epilepsy with brain derived neurotrophic factor gene.
Brain-derived factor (BDNF) is a member of neurotrophin family and is localized and upregulated in areas implicated in epileptogenesis. Several lines of evidence make the BDNF gene a plausible candidate gene for predisposition to epilepsy. In this study, we tested that BDNF might be involved in the etiology of childhood PE. To assess whether BDNF gene C270T polimorphism could be implicated in vulnerability to PE, we conducted a case-control association analysis (112 partial epileptic and 100 controls) in Turkish children. Epileptic children were divided into two groups: 1--idiopathic (n = 85) and 2--symptomathic epilepsy (n = 27). There was no significant difference in genotypic distribution and allelic frequencies of the BDNF gene C270T polimorphism between the PE and control groups. However, the BDNF gene TT genotype was more frequently seen in the epileptic children (15 versus 11 patients, resp.). Interestingly, in the epilepsy group, both two children with TT genotype have posttraumatic epilepsy. The data indicate a possible association with the 270T genotype of the BDNF gene with a posttraumatic epilepsy. To draw any conclusion, further studies using larger sample sizes should be carried out in various ethnic populations in childhood epilepsies.
Dr Behcet Uz Child Disease and Pediatric Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Montro, Izmir, Turkey. aycanunalp@mynet.com
Aycan
A
Unalp
Elcin
E
Bora
Tufan
T
Cankaya
Ozlem
O
Giray Bozkaya
Derya
D
Ercal
Aysel
A
Ozturk
Ayfer
A
Ulgenalp
D000293:Adolescent; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor