Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are an important risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, most GBA genetic studies in PD have been performed in patients of European origin and very few data are available in other populations.Methods
We sequenced the entire GBA coding region in 602 PD patients and 319 controls from Colombia and Peru enrolled as part of the Latin American Research Consortium on the Genetics of Parkinson's disease (LARGE-PD).Results
We observed a significantly higher proportion of GBA mutation carriers in patients compared to healthy controls (5.5% vs 1.6%; OR = 4.3, p = 0.004). Interestingly, the frequency of mutations in Colombian patients (9.9%) was more than two-fold greater than in Peruvian patients (4.2%) and other European-derived populations reported in the literature (4-5%). This was primarily due to the presence of a population-specific mutation (p.K198E) found only in the Colombian cohort. We also observed that the age at onset was significantly earlier in GBA carriers when compared to non-carriers (47.1 ± 14.2 y vs. 55.9 ± 14.2 y; p = 0.0004).Conclusion
These findings suggest that GBA mutations are strongly associated with PD risk and earlier age at onset in Peru and Colombia. The high frequency of GBA carriers among Colombian PD patients (∼10%) makes this population especially well-suited for novel therapeutic approaches that target GBA-related PD.
SUBMITTER: Velez-Pardo C
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7175776 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Velez-Pardo Carlos C Lorenzo-Betancor Oswaldo O Jimenez-Del-Rio Marlene M Moreno Sonia S Lopera Francisco F Cornejo-Olivas Mario M Torres Luis L Inca-Martinez Miguel M Mazzetti Pilar P Cosentino Carlos C Yearout Dora D Waldherr Sarah M SM Zabetian Cyrus P CP Mata Ignacio F IF
Parkinsonism & related disorders 20190204
<h4>Background</h4>Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are an important risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, most GBA genetic studies in PD have been performed in patients of European origin and very few data are available in other populations.<h4>Methods</h4>We sequenced the entire GBA coding region in 602 PD patients and 319 controls from Colombia and Peru enrolled as part of the Latin American Research Consortium on the Genetics of Parkinson's disease (LARGE-PD).<h4>R ...[more]