No influence of adrenergic receptor polymorphisms on schizophrenia and antipsychotic response

The adrenergic system plays an important role in psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Antagonism of the adrenergic receptor sub types alpha(1A) and alpha(2A) has been found to have an a nti psychotic eff ect. Genetic mutations in these receptors could be related to the alteratio ns in the adrenergic system observed in psychiatric patients and to failure to respond to drug antagonism. We have studied one polymorphism in the ala -adrenergic receptor (Arg492Cys) and two polymorphisms in the promoter regi on of the alpha(2a)-adrenergic receptor (-1291-C/G and 261-G/A) in a sample of clozapine-treated schizophrenic patients and controls, No clear differe nces were observed between the different groups suggesting that these polym orphisms did not play an important role in the aetiology of the disorder or in determining antipsychotic response. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland L td. All rights reserved.