ABSTRACT
Mutations in the PARKIN gene have been identified in families with recessively inherited Parkinson disease (PD). Common DNA-polymorphisms at the PARKIN gene could contribute to the risk for PD in the general population. Here we searched for DNA-polymorphisms in the PARKIN promoter. We found two single nucleotide polymorphisms (-324 A/G and -797 A/G). In order to analyse the association of PD with these and two previously described polymorphisms (1281 G/A, Asp394Asn, and 601 G/A, Ser167Asn) we genotyped 105 patients and 150 healthy controls. Allele and genotype frequencies for the four polymorphisms did not differ between patients and controls, or between patients with an early-onset (< or =40 years; n = 20) and a late-onset (>40 years; n = 85). According to our data, the genetic variation at the PARKIN gene (including promoter polymorphisms) did not contribute to the risk of developing PD in the general population.