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Association and linkage disequilibrium between a functional polymorphism of the dopamine-2 receptor gene and schizophrenia in a genetically homogeneous Portuguese population

Molecular Psychiatry volume 7, pages 1002–1005 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the DRD2 gene has been found to be associated with schizophrenia in Japanese1,2 and Swedish populations.3 We attempted to replicate these findings in a genetically homogenous Portuguese population using a family-based study design. Analysis of 78 trios revealed evidence for association between the −141 C Ins allele and schizophrenia using the haplotype relative risk (HRR) method (χ2 = 9.30, P = 0.0023). Further examination of this sample using an alternative family-based association analysis method, the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), of 33 informative matings from the Portuguese trios provided evidence for an allelic association and linkage disequilibrium between the insertion allele and schizophrenia (χ2 = 8.76, P = 0.0031). These consistent results using two alternative family-based association analysis methods replicate the findings of previous reports, and thus further implicate a potential role for the dopamine-2 receptor in the genetic etiology of schizophrenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Psychiatric and Molecular Genetics, SUNY Upstate Medical University,

    K M Schindler, M T Pato, A Dourado, A Macedo, M H Azevedo, J L Kennedy & C N Pato

  2. Behavioral Health Care Line, VISN 2, Veterans Administration, Syracuse, New York, USA

    K M Schindler, M T Pato, A Dourado, A Macedo, M H Azevedo, J L Kennedy & C N Pato

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, SUNY at Buffalo, New York, USA

    K M Schindler & C N Pato

  4. Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

    M T Pato, A Dourado, A Macedo, M H Azevedo & C N Pato

  5. Neurogenetics Section, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Canada

    J L Kennedy

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  1. K M Schindler
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  2. M T Pato
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  7. C N Pato
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Correspondence to C N Pato.

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Schindler, K., Pato, M., Dourado, A. et al. Association and linkage disequilibrium between a functional polymorphism of the dopamine-2 receptor gene and schizophrenia in a genetically homogeneous Portuguese population. Mol Psychiatry 7, 1002–1005 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001126

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