Genetic mutation analysis of the COQ2 gene in Italian patients with multiple system atrophy.

COQ2 encodes para-hydroxybenzoate-polyprenyl transferase and, recently, mutations in this gene have been associated with the increase of the risk of multiple system atrophy (MSA) in Japanese cases. Subsequently, studies in Asian patients confirmed the role of COQ2 in the development of MSA, while other analysis failed to replicate these results in Caucasian population. We performed genetics screening of COQ2 in 100 MSA Italian patients. We did not find any pathogenic mutations; our results suggest that COQ2 is not a genetic risk factor for MSA in Italian population.