The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of the PAX9 gene to the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NS-CL/P) in the Korean population.
Samples were obtained from 142 Korean NS-CL/P families (90 males and...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of the PAX9 gene to the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NS-CL/P) in the Korean population.
Samples were obtained from 142 Korean NS-CL/P families (90 males and 52 females; nine cleft lip, 26 cleft lip and alveolus, and 107 cleft lip and palate; 76 trios and 66 dyads). A total of ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association with Korean CL/P case-parent trios using both the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and the conditional logistic regression model. The minor allele frequency (MAF), heterozygosity, and a χ2 test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at each SNP were computed for parents. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) was computed as both D′ and r2 for all SNPs. Both allelic and genotypic TDTs were performed for individual SNPs using the family-based association test program (fbat), and sliding windows of haplotypes consisting of two to eight SNPs were also tested using the haplotype-based association test program (hbat). Genotypic odd ratios (GORs) were obtained from the conditional logistic regression models under the assumption of additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models using STATA software.
The family-based TDT using individual SNPs and two- to eight-SNP haplotypes of the gene indicated a significant association at one SNP, rs17104928 (p=0.014). The haplotype analysis revealed that the association was most significant for the haplotype consisting of three SNPs (rs2073247, rs17104928, and rs17176643; p=0.007). G/A heterozygoteat rs17104928, which is comprised of major allele G and minor allele A, had a significantly increased association with CL/P cases [GOR=2.88, 95% confidence interval=1.42~5.84, p=0.0014, dominant model].
The high-risk SNP and genotype identified here may provide a better understanding of the etiological role of the PAX9 gene in NS-CL/P and potential options for genetic counseling.