Aim: Dyskinesia and motor fluctuation are frequent and serious complications of chronic levodopa therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease. Since genetic factors could play a role in determining the occurrence of these problems, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether possible functional polymorphisms among DRD2 and ANKK1 genes are associated with the risk of developing dyskinesia and motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease patients.
Patients & methods: One hundred and ninety nine patients in treatment with levodopa were genotyped for the -141CIns/Del, rs2283265, rs1076560, C957T, TaqIA and rs2734849 polymorphisms at the DRD2/ANKK1 gene region.
Results: Carriers of the TTCTA haplotype showed an increased risk for the presence of dyskinesia (p = 0.007; 1.538 [95% CI: 1.126-2.101]).
Conclusion: Our data suggest an influence of the DRD2/ANKK1 gene region on levodopa-induced dyskinesia.