title: Neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 4 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor variants combined effect on schizophrenia susceptibility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationships between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NOTCH4 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with schizophrenia among Han Chinese in Southern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two NOTCH4 SNPs (rs520688 and rs415929) and two BDNF SNPs (rs2030324 and rs12273539) were examined in 464 schizophrenics and 464 healthy controls from Hunan province in South China, using the Sequenom MassARRAY® iPLEX System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study population, rs520688 and rs2030324 were significantly associated with schizophrenia. A decreased risk of schizophrenia was associated with the rs520688 GA genotype (p = 0.035), whereas an increased risk of schizophrenia was associated with the rs2030324 CC/CT genotype (p = 0.044). The genotype distributions of rs415929 in NOTCH4 and rs12273539 in BDNF did not differ significantly between the case and control groups. Although no allele-allele interactions were detected between rs520688 and rs2030324, recombination analysis revealed a combined effect of the two on the susceptibility to schizophrenia, with GA-TT decreasing and CT/CC-GG/GA increasing the risk of schizophrenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, rs520688 in NOTCH4 and rs2030324 in BDNF are significantly associated with schizophrenia among Han Chinese in Southern China. The two had a combined effect on the susceptibility to schizophrenia among Han Chinese in Southern China, but this may not be caused by an allele-allele interaction.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Xi
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: An-Na
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: 2 Research Institute of Da An Gene Co., Ltd, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Fen-Xia
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 2 Research Institute of Da An Gene Co., Ltd, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li