It has recently been established that the ubiquitinated neuronal inclusions and neurites observed in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) contain the TAR DNA-binding protein, TDP-43. It is not uncommon for genetic variation of genes that encode proteins that accumulate in neurodegenerative conditions to increase risk for disease. We therefore examined whether variation of the TDP-43 locus was associated with an increased risk of disease in the Manchester FTLD cohort. We found no evidence of TDP-43 variation increasing risk for FTLD in this cohort. These data suggest that TDP-43 accumulation is a consequence of the disease process underlying FTLD.