title: Consanguinity and increased risk for schizophrenia in Egypt.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consanguinity has been suggested as a risk factor for psychoses in some Middle Eastern countries, but adequate control data are unavailable. Our recent studies in Egypt have shown elevated parental consanguinity rates among patients with bipolar I disorder (BP1), compared with controls. We have now extended our analyses to schizophrenia (SZ) in the same population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted at Mansoura University Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt (SZ, n=75; controls, n=126, and their available parents). The prevalence of consanguinity was estimated from family history data ('self report'), followed by DNA analysis using short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs, n=63) ('DNA-based' rates).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported consanguinity was significantly elevated among the patients (SZ: 46.6%, controls: 19.8%, OR 3.53, 95% CI 1.88, 6.64; p=0.000058, 1 d.f.). These differences were confirmed using DNA-based estimates for coefficients of inbreeding (inbreeding coefficients as means+/-standard error, cases: 0.058+/-0.007, controls: 0.022+/-0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consanguinity rates are significantly elevated among Egyptian SZ patients in the Nile delta region. The associations are similar to those observed with BP1 in our earlier study. If replicated, the substantial risk associated with consanguinity raises public health concerns. They may also pave the way for gene mapping studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Hader
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Warda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fathi
authors.forename: Lambertus
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klei
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Kodavali
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chowdari
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eissa
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elassy
authors.forename: Ibtihal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Hala
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salah
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yassin
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tobar
authors.forename: Hala
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Boraie
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gaafar
authors.forename: Nahed E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Kareem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kandil
authors.forename: Wafaa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El-Bahaei
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: El-Boraie
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alatrouny
authors.forename: Farha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El-Chennawi
authors.forename: Bernie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: Vishwajit L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Nimgaonkar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003241:Consanguinity; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D055815:Young Adult