Background/objectives: Dopamine has been implicated in the pathogenesis of migraine. We investigated the possible association between the polymorphism 312G>A (rs6280) in the DRD3 gene(essential tremor 1-ETM1- locus, chromosome 3q13) and the risk for migraine and for triggering migraine attacks by alcohol.
Methods: We studied the frequency of the DRD3 genotypes and allelic variants in 197 patients with migraine and 282 healthy controls using a polymerase chain reaction and MlsI-restriction fragment length polymorphisms method.
Results: The frequencies of the DRD3 genotypes and DRD3Gly9 were similar in patients with migraine and controls and were unrelated to the age of onset of migraine, gender, family history of migraine and triggering of migraine attacks by alcohol. The frequency of the genotype DRD3Gly9Gly9 was significantly higher in patients with migraine with aura when compared with patients with migraine without aura, but not with controls.
Conclusion: DRD3 genotype and allelic variants were not related to the risk for migraine in Caucasian Spanish people.