title: GWAS, cytomegalovirus infection, and schizophrenia.
abstract: In recent years good progress has been made in uncovering the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia. Even so, as a polygenic disorder, schizophrenia has a complex etiology that is far from understood. Meanwhile data are being collected enabling the study of interactions between genes and the environment. A confluence of data from genetic and environmental exposure studies points to the role of infections and immunity in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In a recent study by Børglum et al., a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene CTNNA3 was identified that may provide clues to gene-environment interactions. The carriers of the minor allele for the SNP had a 5 fold risk of later developing schizophrenia if their mothers were CMV positive, while the children not carrying the allele had no excess risk from maternal CMV. In the current paper we summarize recent advances to clarify possible mechanism of such interactions between the host genotype and infection in schizophrenia risk.
authors: Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark ; Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark ; iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark ; iSEQ, Centre for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors: Jakob
authors: J
authors: Grove
authors: Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark ; iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark ; iSEQ, Centre for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, Denmark ; Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors: Anders D
authors: AD
authors: Børglum
authors: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA ; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA.
authors: Brad D
authors: BD
authors: Pearce
keywords: antibody; autoimmunity; cytomegalovirus; gene-environment interactions; genetics; genome-wide association studies; immunogenetics; schizophrenia