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Genetic heterogeneity in schizophrenia: stratification of genome scan data using co-segregating related phenotypes

Molecular Psychiatry volume 5, pages 650–653 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Despite considerable effort to identify susceptibility loci for schizophrenia, none have been localized. Multiple genome scans and collaborative efforts have shown evidence for linkage to regions on chromosomes 1q, 5q, 6q, 8p, 13q, 10p and 22q.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Heterogeneity is likely. We previously mapped schizophrenia susceptibility loci (SSL) to chromosomes 13q32 (P = 0.00002) and 8p21–22 (P = 0.0001) using 54 multiplex pedigrees and suggested linkage heterogeneity. We have now stratified these families based on co-segregating phenotypes in non-schizophrenic first degree relatives (schizophrenia spectrum personality disorders (SSPD); psychotic affective disorders (PAD)). Genome scans were conducted for these phenotypic subgroups of families and broadened affected phenotypes were tested. The SSPD group provided its strongest genome-wide linkage support for the chromosome 8p21 region (D8S1771) using either narrow (non-parametric lod (NPL) P = 0.000002) or broadened phenotypes (NPL P = 0.0000008) and a new region of interest on 1p was identified (P = 0.006). For PAD families, the peak NPL in the genome scan occurred on chromosome 3p26–p24 (P = 0.008). The identification of multiple susceptibility loci for schizophrenia may be enhanced by stratification of families using psychiatric diagnoses of the non-schizophrenic relatives.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank our study participants and their families, and the mental health professionals who referred patients and provided information. Institution-approved informed consent was obtained from each participant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21231, MD, USA

    A E Pulver, J Mulle, G Nestadt, K L Swartz, V K Lasseter, P S Wolyniec, M H Thornquist & J A McGrath

  2. Division of Medical Genetics, University of Geneva Medical School and Cantonal Hospital, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland

    J-L Blouin & S E Antonarakis

  3. Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, PA, USA

    B Dombroski & H H Kazazian

  4. Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, 21205, MD, USA

    K-Y Liang

  5. Center For Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, MA, USA

    D E Housman

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  1. A E Pulver
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  2. J Mulle
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  3. G Nestadt
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  8. D E Housman
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  10. S E Antonarakis
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  11. V K Lasseter
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  12. P S Wolyniec
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  13. M H Thornquist
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  14. J A McGrath
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Correspondence to A E Pulver.

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Pulver, A., Mulle, J., Nestadt, G. et al. Genetic heterogeneity in schizophrenia: stratification of genome scan data using co-segregating related phenotypes. Mol Psychiatry 5, 650–653 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000814

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000814

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