Hyperactivation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) leads to neuronal excitotoxicity and is suggested to play a role in many brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. However, the association between polymorphisms in the genes that code for NMDAR subunits, N-methyl-d-aspartate 1 and 2B (GRIN1 and GRIN2B) and Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. In a hospital-based case-control study of PD, DNA samples were collected from 101 PD patients and 205 healthy controls. Genotyping assays were used to screen for polymorphisms in the GRIN1 (rs2301364 T>C, rs28489906 T>C, and rs4880213 T>C) and GRIN2B (C366G, C2664T, and rs1805476 T>G) genes, and logistic regression analysis was then used to assess the association between these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PD susceptibility. None of the 6 SNPs were significantly associated with PD risk on their own. However, in conjunction with putative low-risk genotypes for the GRIN1 gene, the GRIN2BC366G variant was significantly associated with reduced PD risk compared with the homozygous genotype 366CC (OR=0.38, 95%CI=0.17-0.93, P=0.033). A synergistic effect on risk reduction was observed in subjects who carried multiple polymorphisms of GRIN1 and the GRIN2BC366G polymorphism (OR=0.78, 95%CI=0.59-1.02, P(trend)=0.073). Our results suggest that polymorphisms in the GRIN1 and GRIN2B genes may serve as potential biomarkers for a reduced risk of PD among the Chinese population in Taiwan.
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