Abstract
Background
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) occurs mostly in males, but no studies have addressed the role of androgen in the disease. Hyperinsulinemia can precipitate acute paralysis in TPP patients. CAG repeats in the androgen receptor (AR), an X-linked gene, correlate with serum insulin levels.
Aim
To evaluate whether CAG repeats in the AR gene might predict the susceptibility to TPP in Korean male Graves' patients.
Methods
We evaluated CAG repeat length in a series of 33 male TPP patients and 48 control patients by direct sequencing of the PCR product of the AR promoter site. Control patients were male Graves' patients without a history of paralysis.
Figures and Tables
Fig. 1
Representative sequences of androgen receptor gene CAG repeat. The CAG repeat began at nucleotide number 87 and end at nucleotide number 149. This meant that 21 CAG repeat was present in the sample.
![jkes-23-117-g001](/upload/SynapseData/ArticleImage/0008jkes/jkes-23-117-g001.jpg)
Fig. 2
Distribution of CAG repeats of the promoter lesion of the androgen receptor gene in male Graves' patients with (TPP) or without (GD only) history of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.
![jkes-23-117-g002](/upload/SynapseData/ArticleImage/0008jkes/jkes-23-117-g002.jpg)
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