title: Neurotrophin-3 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia: no evidence for linkage or association.
abstract: It has been suggested on the basis of neuropathological and epidemiological evidence that schizophrenia is, at least in part, a neurodevelopmental illness. Some patients show abnormalities in cell position in the medial temporal lobes of their brains. Neurotrophin-3 is one of many proteins essential for the proper growth and development of the nervous system. Therefore the finding of a polymorphism near the promoter region of the gene, alleles of which were associated with the disease, prompted us to attempt replication. In a linkage and association analysis of the same polymorphism using familial schizophrenics and population controls we found no evidence to support the finding. We conclude that mutations or polymorphisms at this gene are unlikely to be involved in the genetic aetiology of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. mgill@mail.tcd.ie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hawi
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Straub
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kendler
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D010375:Pedigree; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044469:Racial Groups; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020933:Neurotrophin 3