The homozygosity for 10-repeat allele at dopamine transporter gene and dopamine transporter density in Korean children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: relating to treatment response to methylphenidate

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2005 Jan;15(1):95-101. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2004.06.004.

Abstract

The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be treated with methylphenidate (MPH), a potent blocker of dopamine transporter (DAT). The homozygosity of the 10-repeat allele at the DAT gene (DAT1) seems to be associated with a poor response to MPH in children with ADHD. In the present study, we investigated the association between DAT density using I-123-N-(3-iodopropen-2-yl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-chlorophenyl)tropane [123I]IPT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)] and the homozygosity for 10-repeat allele at DAT1 and response to MPH in Korean children with ADHD. Eleven drug-naive children with ADHD were included in the study and treated with MPH for about 8 weeks. After the genotyping and SPECT were performed, we compared DAT density between ADHD children with and without the homozygosity for 10-repeat allele at DAT1 and investigated the correlation between the homozygosity for 10-repeat allele and response to MPH. ADHD children with 10/10 genotype (n=7) had a significantly greater increase of the DAT density in basal ganglia than the children without 10/10 genotype (n=4). We found that while only 28.6% (2/7) of the subject with 10/10 genotype showed good response to MPH treatment, 100% (4/4) of the subjects without 10/10 genotype showed good response to MPH treatment. Our findings support an association between homozygosity for 10-repeat allele at DAT1 and the DAT density assessed in vivo and correlation between the homozygosity for 10-repeat allele and poor response to MPH.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / epidemiology
  • Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / genetics*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / therapeutic use*
  • Child
  • Demography
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Korea / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Methylphenidate / therapeutic use*
  • Minisatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tropanes

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • SLC6A3 protein, human
  • Tropanes
  • N-(3-iodopropen-1-yl)-2-carbomethoxy-3-(4-chlorophenyl)tropane
  • Methylphenidate