We studied the Cys282Tyr single nucleotide polymorphism as a genetic risk factor for PD in two distinct and separately collected cohorts of Australian PD patients and controls.
We examined four known polymorphisms, C282Y and H63D in the HFE gene, G258S in the TF gene and S82G in the TFR gene, in 181 sporadic PD patients and 180 controls from Southern Italy to investigate their possible role in susceptibility to PD.
Recent studies on the role of hemochromatosis gene (HFE) mutations in PD vary from a protective effect of C282Y heterozygosity, no effect of the C282Y or H63D mutation to an increased risk for PD in C282Y mutation carriers.
We conclude that in the Italian population, the most common HFE mutations, H63D and C282Y are not associated with the individual risk to develop PD, nor have specific influence on the clinical features of the disease.