Abstract
Background
The FZD3 protein is a transmembrane receptor for secreted Wnt glycoproteins involved
in the Wnt signal transduction cascades. The alteration of Wnt signal transduction
cascades has been thought to be involved in producing the cytoarchitectural defects
observed in schizophrenia. Because the human FZD3 gene is mapped to chromosome 8p21,
which is a potential region containing a gene for schizophrenia, it may play a role
in conferring susceptibility to the disease.
Methods
This study was conducted with the detection of three single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs) located within the FZD3 locus by using the polymerase chain reaction–based
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis among 246 schizophrenic family
trios of Chinese Han descent.
Results
The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) demonstrated that the three SNPs all showed
a preferential transmission with a p value ranging from .0003–.000007. The global chi-squared test for haplotype transmission
also showed a strong association (χ2 = 48.84, df = 7, p < .000001).
Conclusions
The strong association between the FZD3 locus and schizophrenia suggests that the
gene itself may play a role in underlying schizophrenia, although a nearby gene responsible
for predisposing to the illness cannot be ruled out.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 14,
2003
Received in revised form:
February 20,
2003
Received:
September 14,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
