Association analysis of PARK16-18 variants and Parkinson’s disease in a Chinese population

Genome-wide association studies identified PARK16 variants rs823128 and rs947211, PARK17/GAK rs11248051 and PARK18/HLA-DRA rs3129882 as risk factors for Parkinson’s disease (PD). However the susceptibility of these loci to predisposing individuals for PD, particularly rs11248051, remains under investigation in Chinese populations. A total of 323 PD patients and 345 age and sex matched controls were recruited in eastern China. Our results show that minor allele frequencies of rs11248051 (odds ratio [OR] 1.522; p = 0.016) and rs3129882 (OR 1.294; p = 0.03), but not rs823128 and rs947211, were associated with risk for PD. Genetic interaction analysis revealed that subjects simultaneously carrying the T allele (TC or TT) of rs11248051 and the A allele (AG or AA) of rs3129882 had an aggravated risk (OR 1.91; p = 0.016) of PD. However, rs11248051 or rs3129882 displayed no association with PD phenotypes or clinical scores. Our results suggest that rs11248051 and rs3129882 are risk factors for sporadic PD in a Chinese population, and their genetic interplay contributes to an elevated risk for PD predisposition. Our data provide a novel insight and further information regarding PARK16-18 loci in PD susceptibility.