HTF9C gene of 22q11.21 region associates with schizophrenia having deficit-sustained attention.
OBJECTIVE
A region at chromosome 22q11.21 has been reported to potentially harbor a candidate gene for schizophrenia, ZDHHC8 (zinc finger, DHHC domain containing 8; also annotated as KIAA1292) in a number of studies. This finding has been replicated in Han Chinese, but not in other ethnicity-specific studies. For further support from within the Han Chinese ethnic group, we selected two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located at the distal 5'-end (rs1633445; intron 10 of HpaII tiny fragments locus 9C, HTF9C) and the intron 4 (rs175174) of ZDHHC8 gene to test if these were associated with schizophrenia in a study sample of Taiwan.


METHODS
A total of 218 schizophrenia families with at least two affected siblings participated in this study. These two SNPs were genotyped using matrix-assisted laser desorption/localization ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry.


RESULTS
Significant associations with schizophrenia were not shown from these two SNPs. After stratifying schizophrenia according to the deficit and the nondeficit of sustained attention assessed by the Continuous Performance Test, the rs1633445 showed significant association with schizophrenia in the presence of a deficit in sustained attention (P<0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
SNP rs1633445 of the HTF9C gene may be associated with a deficit in sustained attention within schizophrenia, in a Taiwanese cohort. The deficit of sustained attention may be an endophenotype of schizophrenia, and warrants further study.
Liu
Yu-Li
YL
Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Research, National Health Research Institute, Taiwan.
Fann
Cathy Shen-Jang
CS
Liu
Chih-Min
CM
Chang
Chien Ching
CC
Yang
Wei-Chih
WC
Wu
Jer-Yuarn
JY
Hung
Shuen-Iu
SI
Chan
Hung-Yu
HY
Chen
Jiahn-Jyh
JJ
Hsieh
Ming H
MH
Hwang
Tzung-Jeng
TJ
Faraone
Stephen V
SV
Tsuang
Ming T
MT
Chen
Wei J
WJ
Hwu
Hai-Gwo
HG
D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002892:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008297:Male; D009679:Nuclear Family; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D035781:Siblings; D013624:Taiwan
D011506:Proteins