Analysis of PARK2 gene exon rearrangements in Russian patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease.

Background: Deletions and duplications of single exons or exon groups account for a large proportion of the PARK2 gene mutations described in juvenile autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We analyzed rearrangements in exons 1 to 12 of the PARK2 gene in Russian sporadic patients with early-onset PD (EOPD) and late-onset PD (LOPD).

Results: The frequency of EOPD and LOPD patients carrying these mutations was 12.4% and 3.8%, respectively. The most frequent rearrangements were detected in exons 3 and 4. The odds ratio for EOPD in individuals carrying PARK2 exon deletions and duplications was 13.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.846-105.46; P = .0022). In addition, we found a correlation between exon rearrangements in PARK2 and the age at onset of PD, presence of dystonia, and symmetrical course of the disease.

Conclusions: Exon rearrangements in the PARK2 gene play a significant role in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD in Russian patients.