Gene Interaction of Dopaminergic Synaptic Pathway Genes in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: a Case-Control Study in Chinese Children

Abstract

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a highly inherited neurodevelopmental disorder. Previous genetic research has linked ADHD to certain genes in the dopaminergic synaptic pathway. Nonetheless, research on this relationship has produced varying results across various populations. China is a multi-ethnic country with its own unique genetic characteristics. Therefore, such a population can provide useful information about the relationship between gene polymorphisms in dopaminergic synaptic pathways and ADHD. This study looked at the genetic profiles of 284 children in China’s Xinjiang. In total, 142 ADHD children and 142 control subjects were enrolled. Following the extraction of DNA from oral mucosal cells, 13 SNPs for three candidate genes (SLC6A3, DRD2, and GRIN2B) in the dopaminergic synaptic pathway of ADHD were screened. Based on the results of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analyses, we found that the DRD2 gene variants rs6277 and rs6275, and the SLC6A3 gene variant rs2652511, were significantly associated with ADHD in boys and girls, respectively, after adjusting for false discovery rate (FDR) in terms of allele frequencies. Furthermore, our generalized multifactorial downscaling approach identified a significant association between rs6275 and rs1012586. These findings suggest that DRD2 and SLC6A3 genes have a crucial role in ADHD susceptibility. Additionally, we observed that the interaction between GRIN2B and DRD2 genes may contribute to the susceptibility of Chinese children with ADHD.

Impact of food additives on neurodevelopmental processes in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Exploring circadian clock genes and dopamine system

“…Our study suggests potential long-term neurological consequences of these gene expression changes, including potential impacts on behavior and cognitive functions. This is in accordance with the findings of Nigg et al (2012) and Zhong et al (2024).…”

Gene-gene and gene-environmental interaction of dopaminergic system genes in Pakistani children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Although previous genetic studies have linked ADHD to the dopaminergic synaptic pathway genes, the results have been conflicting across various populations. A recent study conducted on Chinese children with ADHD children compared to control subjects found the significant association of DRD2 gene variants rs6277 and rs6275, and the SLC6A3 gene variant rs2652511 with ADHD out of 13 SNVs related to dopaminergic synaptic pathway examined ( Zhong et al, 2024 ). Previous studies have reported the association of DRD2, DRD4 and COMT SNVs with ADHD in Finnish ( Nyman et al, 2007 ), East Indian ( Ghosh et al, 2013 ), and Chinese Han populations ( Wang et al, 2019 ).…”