title: HLA antigens and schizophrenia: a pool of two studies.
abstract: Results from two studies on HLA antigens in schizophrenic patients were pooled and analyzed. A statistically significant difference appeared in the frequency for HLA-B27, which was increased in the patient group (n = 164) as compared to the controls (n = 585). The strong correlation between this antigen and some forms of arthropathies and the fact that arthropathies and schizophrenia very seldom occur in the same individual suggest that HLA-B27 could serve as a genetic marker for both diseases. The development of either one or the other may depend upon the interplay between the genetic marker (HLA-B27) and other biological and environmental factors. In addition to the potential value of HLA-B27 as a marker for vulnerability to schizophrenia, the human leucocyte antigens may also serve to differentiate between various subtypes of the illness.
mesh_terms: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006680:HLA Antigens