D. Curtis et al., A LINKAGE STUDY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH DNA MARKERS FROM CHROMOSOME 8P21-P22 IN 25 MULTIPLEX FAMILIES, Schizophrenia research, 22(1), 1996, pp. 61-68
Two recent genome-wide searches for linkage (Lasseter et al., 1994; Mo
ises et al., 1995) suggested that a susceptibility gene for schizophre
nia might be located at chromosome 8p21-p22. We attempted to replicate
these findings by performing a linkage study of schizophrenia with fo
ur DNA markers from this region using 25 multiply affected families. N
either the lod score method nor non-parametric extended sib-pair analy
sis yielded any evidence for linkage, even under the assumption of loc
us heterogeneity. We conclude that there is unlikely to be a major gen
e in the 8p21-p22 region which confers susceptibility to schizophrenia
in our set of families. However we cannot exclude the possibility of
a major gene present in other families, or of a susceptibility gene wi
th a moderate but widespread effect which we cannot detect.