Polymorphic DNAs and their use for diagnosis of susceptibility to panic disorder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing panic disorder, said method being based on the determination of the class of polymorphism of the short tandem repeat (STR) complex in the upstream region of human cholecystokinin gene. The polymorphic DNA comprises a DNA sequence, having a general formula (1): 5′(GGAA) n1 X(GGAG) n2 (GGAA) n3 (GGGA) n4 GAG(AGAC) n5 Y(GGAA) n6 3′  (1) wherein X denotes a DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, Y denotes a DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and each of n1, n2, n3, n4, n5 and n6 denotes independently 0 or a positive integral number, whereby said DNA ranging from 363 to 399 base pairs in length. The invention also relates to an assay kit used for implementing said method.

1 . A method for diagnosing panic disorder, comprising: 
 a) obtaining from a subject a DNA sample comprising a short tandem repeat stretch in the 5′-upstream region of the human cholecystokinin gene; and    b) identifying a class of polymorphism present in the subject, wherein a specific class is an indication that said subject may suffer from panic disorder.    
     
     
         2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by sequence determination.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by gel electrophoresis.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by southern blotting.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by a single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) method.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of polymorphism is detected by mass spectrometry.  
     
     
         8 . A method for demonstrating a predisposition to panic disorder, comprising: 
 a) obtaining from a subject a DNA sample comprising a short tandem repeat stretch in the 5′-upstream region of the human cholecystokinin gene; and    b) identifying a class of polymorphism present in the subject, wherein a specific class is an indication of a predisposition to panic disorder in said subject.    
     
     
         9 . A method for predicting the efficacy of an anxiolytic drug for the treatment of panic disorders, comprising: 
 a) obtaining from a subject a DNA sample comprising a short tandem repeat stretch in the 5′-upstream region of the human cholecystokinin gene; and    b) identifying the class of polymorphism present in the subject, wherein a specific class is an indication that said anxiolytic drug may be effective for the treatment of panic disorders.