Association between polymorphism of beta3-adrenoceptor gene and overactive bladder

Aims In human urinary bladder, beta3-ARs play an important role in promoting detrusor relaxation during the storage phase of the micturition cycle. The present study investigated whether a Trp64Arg polymorphism of the gene encoding the beta3-AR is associated with overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. Methods This study involved 100 women with OAB and 101 healthy control women without OAB. Hair root samples were obtained from all subjects and used for beta3-AR gene analysis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed to analyze a polymorphism in the gene of Trp64Arg. Results The overall frequency of the 64Arg variant (heterozygous plus homozygous) in OAB patients was 47% and significantly higher than the frequency of 22.8% found in non-OAB control women. Within OAB patients, numbers of micturitions per day, urgency episodes per day, and urgency incontinence episodes per day in the 64Arg variant carriers were not significantly different from those in the normal gene carriers. Conclusions This study shows that the Trp64Arg polymorphism in the beta3-AR gene is weakly but significantly associated with OAB syndrome. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:400-402, 2014. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.