Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism: association with psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia?
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been proposed as a risk factor for schizophrenia, but no consistent association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and schizophrenia has been established. Therefore, analyses with larger sample sizes and better methodology are needed. To examine whether BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with schizophrenia, schizophrenia patients (n=251) and healthy volunteers (n=284) were recruited for a case-control analysis. Pretreatment psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in a subset of 125 hospitalized schizophrenia patients who were drug-free or drug-naive. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and direct screening techniques. With the exception of nominally significant associations between BDNF Val66Met variation and PANSS total, negative, or general scores, no association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and schizophrenia was found. However, this polymorphism may reduce psychopathology, in particular negative symptoms, in schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Hsin-An
HA
Chang
Ru-Band
RB
Lu
Mee-Jen
MJ
Shy
Chuan-Chia
CC
Chang
Meei-Shyuan
MS
Lee
San-Yuan
SY
Huang
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor