title: An association study of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 gene with periodic psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent molecular and genetic investigations have suggested that the current nosology for major psychiatric disorders, based on the "two-entities-principal" is not accurate with respect to clinical observations; patient groups that do not fit to the current operative diagnostic boundaries are readily identified. We aimed to perform an investigation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) gene (located on 12q13), which has an important role in the apoptotic cascade, with patients suffering from periodic psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genetic association study has been employed for the current work. Investigated six tag-SNPs were chosen from Hapmap database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among six tag-SNPs, one marker (rs10783813), located in the STAT6 gene, showed modest association (p<0.05), although no marker or haplotype block showed association after Bonferroni's correction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies will reveal the etiological role of STAT6, and of other genes of the apoptotic cascade, in major psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawashige
authors.forename: Tetsufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikuyama
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uenishi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoneda