No evidence for an association between dopamine D2 receptor polymorphisms and tardive dyskinesia in Korean schizophrenia patients

Objective Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a long-term adverse effect of antipsychotic. Dopaminergic activity in the nigrostriatal system have been proposed to be involved in development of TD and dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) has been regarded as a candidate gene for TD because the antipsychotics have potent antagonism DRD2. This study was aimed to find the relationship between DRD2 gene and antipsychotic- induced TD. Methods We evaluated whether 5 DRD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (- 41Cins>del/TaqID/NcoI/Ser311Cys/TaqIA) are associated with antipsychotic-induced TD in 263 Korean schizophrenia patients with (n=100) and without TD (n=163) who were matched for antipsychotic drug exposure and other relevant variables. Haplotype analyses were also performed. Results None of 5 polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated with TD and with TD severity as measured by Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Overall haplotype (-141Cins>del/TaqID/NcoI/Ser311Cys/TaqIA) frequency was also not significantly different between TD and non-TD groups, although one rare haplotype (I-D1-T-G-A1) showed significantly different frequency between TD and non-TD groups (2.7% vs. 8.5%, respectively, p=0.031). Conclusion The present study does not support that DRD2 gene may be involved in TD in the Korean population, although further studies are warranted.