%0 Journal Article
%T Association of variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and T941G polymorphism of monoamine oxidase (MAO-A) gene with aggression in Pakistani subjects
%J African health sciences
%D 2021
%A Sarwar, Sumbal
%A Shabana, 
%A Hasnain, Shahida
%V 21
%N 1
%P 180-188
%X BACKGROUND: Human behavioral traits are known to be significantly heritable. Certain individuals have a greater tendency of negative behavioral aspects including aggression. The quest to identify tunderlying genetic causes has led to identification of a number of genetic markers, one of them is the monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) gene. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: We aimed to genotype a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) in the promoter region and a functional SNP within this gene (T941G, dbSNP ID: rs6323) in the recruited cohort of 482 subjects. <br><br>METHODS: After DNA isolation, genotyping was done by PCR-RFLP and the results were confirmed by sequencing. <br><br>RESULTS: For VNTRs, the results showed, highest frequency of 3.5 repeats in males and 4 repeats in females in the promoter region. The genotype frequencies for the SNP in cases were GG=16.3%, TG=20.6% and TT=63.1%, while in controls, the frequencies were GG=12.7%, TG=6.3%, and TT=81.0%. The allele frequencies were significantly different between cases and controls (p=0.015; OR=1.51; CI=1.085-2.102). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The selected VNTR and SNP appeared to be significantly associated with aggression. These VNTRs and SNP have not been studied previously in the Pakistani population, hence they represent a unique ethnic group. These results, however, would have to be replicated in larger cohorts.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University
%@ 1680-6905
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v21i1.24