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Strong association between N-acetyltransferase 2 genotype and PD in Hong Kong Chinese

From the University of New South Wales (Drs. Chan and Wilcken) and Department of Aged Care and Rehabilitation (Dr. Lam), Bankstown Hospital, Bankstown; Cardiovascular Genetics (Dr. Wilcken), Prince of Wales Hospital (R. Wong), Randwick, New South Wales; and Key University Research Strength in Health Technology (Dr. Hung), University of Technology, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Daniel Kam Yin Chan, Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Bankstown Hospital, Eldridge Rd., Bankstown, New South Wales 2200, Australia; e-mail: Daniel.Chan{at}swsahs.nsw.gov.au

Background: The slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2 genotype) may be associated with PD in white subjects and the genotype is common in both white and Chinese populations. Whether there is a relationship between NAT2 genotype and PD in Chinese subjects is not known.

Objective: To investigate the association between the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 and PD in a Chinese population.

Methods: The authors obtained DNA samples and documented sex, age, and smoking history in 99 Chinese patients with PD and in 126 control subjects from two major Hong Kong hospitals. PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to identify M1, M2, and M3 mutant polymorphisms of the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to investigate the relationships between the different variables and PD.

Results: The frequency of the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 in the PD group was significantly higher than that of the control group (68.7% vs 28.6%) with an OR of 5.53 (95% CI 3.08 to 9.92) after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking history. In a subgroup analysis smoking had no modifying effect on the association between genotype and PD.

Conclusions: There is a significant association between PD and the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 in Hong Kong Chinese. The OR found is among the highest reported so far in all susceptibility gene studies for PD in both Chinese and white subjects and provides evidence for a possible functional relationship between NAT2 slow acetylator genotype and PD in both racial groups.