Elevated risks for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and blood disorders in Ashkenazi schizophrenic pedigrees suggest new candidate genes in schizophrenia
- Columbia Univ. School of Public Health, New York, NY (United States)
Among relatives of Ashkenazi schizophrenic probands the rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was 3/1,000, compared to expected population rates of approximately 2/100,000. Relative risk of bleeding disorders, including hematologic cancers, was increased more than three-fold compared to controls. Co-occurrence of motor neuron disease and blood dyscrasias, accompanied by psychosis, has long been recognized. A virally-mediated autoimmune pathogenesis has been proposed. However, the familial co-occurrence of these three disease entities raises the possibility that the disease constellation be considered as a manifestation of a common underlying genetic defect. Such expansion of the spectrum of affectation might enhance the power of both candidate gene and linkage studies. Based on these findings, the loci suggested as candidate regions in schizophrenia include a potential hot spot on chromosome 21q21-q22, involving the superoxide dismutase and amyloid precursor protein genes. Alternatively, genes on other chromosomes involved in the expression, transcription, or regulation of these genes, or associated with the illnesses of high frequency in these pedigrees are suggested. Candidates include the choroid plexus transport protein, transthyretin at 18q11.2-q12.1; the t(14;18)(q22;21) characterizing B-cell lymphoma-2, the most common form of hematologic cancer; and the 14q24 locus of early onset Alzheimer`s disease, c-Fos, transforming growth factor beta 3, and heat shock protein A2. Expression of hematologic cancers and the suggested candidate genes are known to involve retinoid pathways, and retinoid disregulation has been proposed as a cause of schizophrenia. 67 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 135926
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Medical Genetics, Vol. 54, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: 15 Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Human and mouse chromosomal mapping of the myeloid cell leukemia-1 gene: MCL1 maps to human chromosome 1q21, a region that is frequently altered in preneoplastic and neoplastic disease
Evidence for a chromosome 22q susceptibility locus for some schizophrenics
Related Subjects
BASIC STUDIES
GENES
GENE MUTATIONS
TRANSCRIPTION
GENE REGULATION
PATIENTS
MENTAL DISORDERS
HEMIC DISEASES
NEOPLASMS
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 22
GENETIC MAPPING
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
PROTEINS
SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 18
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 14
STATISTICS