FAMILY AGGREGATION OF SCHIZOPHRENIA, STUD Y OF GENETIC-FACTORS

Background: Genetic epidemiological studies indicate that genetic fact ors contribute to a familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The form of inheritance has not been elucidated but most studies have been done i n Caucasian populations. Aim: To study the form of inheritance of schi zophrenia in an urban population of Santiago, Chile, containing an adm ixture of Spanish origin individuals with Southamerican aborigines. Su bjects and methods: Forty four randomly selected schizophrenic proband s, 22 female, aged 28 to 48 years old, were studied. From them, an ext ensive genealogical reconstitution was performed. Probands and relativ es were interviewed using the structured interview CIDI and DSM-III-R check-list. Schizophrenia was diagnosed using DSM-III-R criteria. Comp lex segregation analysis was done using Pointer program. Results: The hypothesis of a multifactorial inheritance, without the participation of major genes, could not be rejected. Likewise, the major dominant an d co-dominant gene forms of transmission could not be rejected. Conclu sions: Our results show the participation of a major dominant locus an d a multifactorial component in the inheritance of schizophrenia, as h as been reported elsewhere.