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First family-based test for association of neuregulin with bipolar affective disorder

Molecular Psychiatry volume 11, pages 706–707 (2006)Cite this article

The neuregulin gene (NRG1) has generated a great amount of interest in recent years as a highly replicated susceptibility gene for schizophrenia.1 As a result of the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) that has been revealed by linkage studies2 and the location of NRG1 within one such overlapping linkage region (8p21), variants within this gene were tested for association with BPAD in a case–control sample of English/Welsh origin.3 A three-marker haplotype comprised of the alleles from the core makers of the schizophrenia-associated haplotype, HAPICE, exhibited a marginal association with BPAD, an effect which became highly significant when the analysis was restricted to cases with mood incongruent psychotic episodes.

Here, we report the results of the first family-based association analysis of NRG1 with BPAD. The three core markers from HAPICE (SNP8NRG221533, 478B14-878, 420M9-1395) and two additional markers (SNP8NRG243177 and D8S1810) were genotyped, using standard methods, in a collection of 92 BPAD type I trios from the Irish population. All families were interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (Lifetime version: SADS-LB) and diagnoses met DSM-IV criteria. Association analyses were performed using the TDT,4 ETDT5 and Transmit6 programmes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    F Cassidy & S Roche

  2. Depression Research Unit, St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    E Claffey & P McKeon

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    P McKeon

Authors
  1. F Cassidy
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  2. S Roche
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  3. E Claffey
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  4. P McKeon
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Correspondence to S Roche.

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Cassidy, F., Roche, S., Claffey, E. et al. First family-based test for association of neuregulin with bipolar affective disorder. Mol Psychiatry 11, 706–707 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001836

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