APOLIPOPROTEIN-E EPSILON-2 ALLELE AND EARLY-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA

To explore the role of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in schizophrenia, we in vestigated ApoE phenotypes in a group of patients with schizophrenia. Serum samples were obtained from 122 schizophrenic patients and 126 co ntrols in Japan and were examined using isoelectric focusing/immunoblo tting. This experiment showed a trend toward a decreased frequency of ApoE epsilon 4 in schizophrenia and no link between ApoE epsilon 4 and familial schizophrenia or early onset schizophrenia. On the other han d, a decreased frequency of ApoE epsilon 2 in early onset schizophreni a was detected. These results suggest that ApoE epsilon 2 protects aga inst early onset schizophrenia, and that ApoE epsilon 4 is not involve d in the development of schizophrenia in Japanese. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd.