Homozygosity for the Gly-9 variant of the dopamine D3 receptor and risk for tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenic patients

This study was undertaken to re-examine whether homozygosity for the Gly-9 variant (allele 2) of the dopamine D3 receptor gene (DRD3) is associated with increased risk for tardive dyskinesia (TD) in schizophrenic patients. Seventy-one antipsychotic-treated subjects with schizophrenia from Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, were genotyped for the presence of allele I (Ser-g) and allele 2 (Gly-9) of the dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) Ser-9-Gly polymorphism. Among 32 patients with TD, 7 subjects (22%) were homozygous for the Gly-9 variant (2-2 genotype), whereas 4 out of 39 patients (10%) without TD had this genotype. The nonsignificant tendency in this sample towards an over-representation of allele 2 and the 2-2 genotype among schizophrenic patients with TD is in line with our initial report as well as recent studies by others, indicating that the Gly-9 allele of DRD3 may be a susceptibility factor for the development of TD in neuroleptic-treated individuals with schizophrenia. There are, however, some recent non-supportive reports, and since the trend in our present study failed to reach statistical significance, further studies on larger samples and future metaanalysis may be necessary to establish the role of the DRD3 in the pathogenesis of TD.