A potential vulnerability locus for schizophrenia on chromosome 6p24-22: evidence for genetic heterogeneity

• Published in: Nature genetics Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 287 - 293
• Main Authors: Walsh, Dermot, Burke, John, Shinkwin, Rosemarie, Straub, Richard E, Duke, Fiona, Kendler, Kenneth S, O'Neill, F. Anthony, Murphy, Bernadette, Zhang, Jie, Webb, Bradley T, MacLean, Charles J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01.11.1995
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6; Genetic Heterogeneity; Genetic Linkage; Genetic Markers; Humans; Lod Score; Medical sciences; Models, Genetic; Pedigree; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - genetics; Psychosis; Genetic mapping; Human; Heterogeneity; Linkage; Gene; Risk factor; Predisposition; Schizophrenia; Genetic character; Chromosome C6
• ISSN: 1061-4036; 1546-1718
• DOI: 10.1038/ng1195-287

In 265 Irish pedigrees, with linkage analysis we find evidence for a vulnerability locus for schizophrenia in region 6p24-22. The greatest lod score, assuming locus heterogeneity, is 3.51 (P = 0.0002) with D6S296. Another test, the C test, also supported linkage, the strongest results being obtained with D6S296 (P = 0.00001), D6S274 (P = 0.004) and D6S285 (P = 0.006). Non-parametric analysis yielded suggestive, but substantially weaker, findings. This locus appears to influence the vulnerability to schizophrenia in roughly 15 to 30% of our pedigrees. Evidence for linkage was maximal using an intermediate phenotypic definition and declined when this definition was narrowed or was broadened to include other psychiatric disorders.