title: Association analysis of an (AC)n repeat polymorphism in the GABA(B) receptor gene and schizophrenia.
abstract: The human gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA(B)) receptor gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia due to its chromosomal location and neurobiologic roles. In the present study, association analyses of genetic polymorphisms of the GABA(B) receptor gene with schizophrenia were carried out in 102 unrelated schizophrenic patients and 100 healthy controls, using a polymerase chain reaction-based, single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis. Although the Ala20Val and Gly489Ser mutations were not found in our samples, we found a novel polymorphism of (AC)n dinucleotide repeats located approximately 1.6 kb upstream from the translational start site. No significant difference in allele frequencies was found between controls and patients with schizophrenia (P = 0.0587) using the Monte Carlo method. Significant differences were found between controls and patients with continuous-course schizophrenia (P = 0.0019), and between controls and patients with a positive family history of psychoses (P = 0.0015). These differences, however, were not significant after Bonferroni correction. These data did not support our hypothesis that polymorphisms of the GABA(B) receptor gene may confer vulnerability for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. zc6k-imi@asahi-net.or.jp
authors.forename: Koubun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawanishi
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachikawa
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B