Association of GABRB3 Polymorphisms with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Korean Trios

Background/Aims: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neuropsychiatric disorders having a genetic risk factor. The association and linkage study for the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor β3 subunit gene (GABRB3), located within the chromosome 15q11-q13 autism candidate region, and ASD have been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between GABRB3 and ASD in the Korean population. Methods: The present study was conducted with the detection of four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1426217, rs2081648, rs890317, rs981778) in GABRB3 and association analysis in 104 Korean ASD trios using the transmission disequilibrium test. Results: The transmission disequilibrium test demonstrated that an allele at rs2081648 showed preferential transmission (p = 0.027). One haplotype, including all examined markers in GABRB3, demonstrated significant association (p = 0.043), but the global χ 2 test for haplotype transmission did not reveal an association between GABRB3 and ASD (χ 2 = 15.516, d.f. = 15). Conclusion: Our finding suggested that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in GABRB3 may play a significant role in the genetic predisposition to ASD in the Korean population.