title: Association of the dopamine β-hydroxylase 19 bp insertion/deletion polymorphism with positive symptoms but not tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overactivity of dopaminergic neurotransmission is a putative mechanism of tardive dyskinesia (TD). Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) is a key enzyme in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, and plasma DBH activity is altered in TD patients. This study examined whether the functional DBH 5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was associated with TD severity in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the rate of this polymorphism in patients with (n = 312) and without TD (n = 435), and healthy controls (n = 625). The severity of TD was assessed using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) and psychopathology using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the distribution of the allele and genotype frequencies between the patients and controls, or between the patients with and without TD. Also, there was no significant difference in the AIMS total score between the three genotype groups. However, the PANSS positive symptom subscore was significantly higher in patients with Del/Del genotype (13.2 ± 5.2) than those with Ins/Del (11.2 ± 4.9) and Ins/Ins (11.1 ± 3.1) genotypes (both p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that although the DBH 5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was not associated with susceptibility to TD in patients with schizophrenia, it might be related to positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yaqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Changgui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hongqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xingguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Lingjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kosten
authors.forename: Xiang Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase