Genetic contribution of BDNF gene in obsessive compulsive disorder in pakistani punjabi population

This study is aimed to identify genetic variants in bdnf gene and their association with obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd) among pakistani punjabi population. we recruited a total of 100 patients diagnosed with ocd following diagnostic statistical manual-iv (dsm-iv) criteria and controls (n=120) were selected from the same ancestry during august 2011 to january 2014 from sir ganga ram hospital and panjab institute of mental health,lahore. the demographic values for age,employment and marital status did not differ significantly among case and control groups. exonic regions of bdnf gene were sequenced. in-silico analysis was performed to detect the possible disease causing effect of genetic variants with ocd. sequencing of bdnf gene showed one change g>a at position c.196 (rs6265) resulting in a nonsynonymous change from valine to methionine. we found only one homozygous and heterozygous carrier for this polymorphism. healthy siblings of the carrier individuals and control group were screened and found as negative for this polymorphism. in-silico analysis through mutation taster,exon splicing enhancer and polyphin2 software predicted this polymorphism as a site broken and possibly damaging. these findings suggest that bdnf polymorphism val66met has some possible role in ocd development in punjabi patients. copyright 2017 zoological society of pakistan.