20/03/2008 - Studies from Trinity College further understanding of psychosis

2008 MAR 26 - -- Investigators publish new data in the report 'A dysbindin risk
haplotype associated with less severe manic-type symptoms in psychosis.'
"Delineating relationships between susceptibility genes and clinical symptoms may
be an important step in understanding the genetics of psychosis .

Biotech Week via NewsEdge Corporation :

). Recent data suggests that the gene dysbindin (DTNBP1) may confer susceptibility
across psychotic disorders and may particularly be associated with negative
symptoms, i.e. affective flattening, alogia and avolition," scientists in Dublin,
Ireland report.

"We have previously published evidence of association with a dysbindin risk

haplotype derived from alleles C-A-T at SNPs P1655 (rs2619539), P1635 (rs3213207)
and SNP66961 (rs2619538) in two independent schizophrenia (SZ) case-control
samples. The C-A-T haplotype impacts at the level of gene function and phenotype:
the haplotype indexes lower cortical expression of the dysbindin gene in post-
mortem SZ brain samples and haplotype carriers show greater deficits in spatial
working memory and early visual processing than non-carrier SZ patients. The aim
of this study was to establish if the C-A-T dysbindin risk haplotype is associated
with a specific clinical symptom profile. We investigated the relationship between
the haplotype and PANSS-derived symptom factors in 262 individuals with
schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder using principal components analysis (PCA)
and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Dysbindin risk carriers scored significantly
less than non-carriers on the 'hostility/excitability' factor (F 1,196=8.468;
p=.004), with a trend for higher negative symptom scores," wrote A. Corvin and
colleagues, Trinity College.

The researchers concluded: "This suggests that risk variation at the dysbindin
gene may contribute to a more prototypical SZ presentation with less severe
excitement/manic symptoms and more negative symptoms."

, 2008;431(2):146-9).

For additional information, contact A. Corvin, St. James Hospital,

Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College
Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland.