Early development and unstable genes in schizophrenia: preliminary results.
BACKGROUND
Trinucleotide repeats have been associated with schizophrenia, but the evidence, based on cross-sectional clinical information, is equivocal.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between genomic CAG/CTG repeat size and premorbid development in schizophrenia.


METHODS
Early development and premorbid functioning of 22 patients with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia were assessed by parental interviews. Repeat expansion detection (RED) technique was used to measure genomic CAG/CTG repeat size, and PCR for CAG repeat size at the ERDA-1 and CTG 18.1 loci.


RESULTS
There was an inverse association between CAG/CTG size and perinatal complications. Patients with speech and motor developmental delay had larger repeats. The results were not due to expansion in the ERDA-1 and CTG 18.1 genes.


CONCLUSIONS
CAG/CTG repeat expansion is associated with speech and motor developmental delay in schizophrenia. We propose that the developmental model may be useful for research into the genetics of schizophrenia.
Ayton
Agnes
A
Department of Psychiatry, University of Hull, East Riding Campus, Coniston House, Willerby, East Yorkshire HU10 6NS, UK. A.K.Ayton@hull.ac.uk
Morris
Alex G
AG
Tyson
Philip J
PJ
Hunt
David
D
Mortimer
Ann M
AM
Cottrell
David
D
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D019680:Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion / Q000235:genetics; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics