Association between Panic Disorder and Dopamine Transporter Gene(DAT1) Polymorphism

공황장애와 도파민 수송체 유전자 다형성과의 연관성

Objectives : There have been many association studies of panic disorder. However, studies about the dopaminergic function in panic disorder have been few. This study was aimed to examine the possible association of dopamine transporter gene(DAT1) polymorphism and panic disorder in Korean population. Methods : Ninety-eight patients with panic disorder(43 male(46.9%), mean age $42.13{\pm}10.88$ years) and one hundred and thirteen comparison subjects(67 male(40.7%), mean age $33.14{\pm}8.55$ years) were tested for DAT1 polymorphism. Genotypes of DAT1 with variable number of tandem repeats(VNTR) were determined using polymerase chain reaction. The differences of allelic frequency and genotype frequency distribution between patient and the control group were tested with Fisher-Freeman-Halton test. Results : There was association between DAT1 polymorphism and panic disorder(allele : p<0.03, genotype : p<0.05). The frequency of 10/10 homozygotes of DAT1 was significantly higher in control group(${\chi}^2$=4.452, df=1, p=0.035). Conclusion : These results in our Korean samples suggest that DAT1 polymorphism might be associated with the vulnerability of panic disorder. Possible association of dopaminergic genes and panic disorder should be investigated with future studies using larger and different population.