Association of Candidate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Related to Candidate Genes in Patients With Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic heterogenic neurodevelopment disorder. Many genes interfere in the development of SCZ. All four genes, NrCAM, PRODH, ANK3, and ANKK1, which were evaluated in this study, were previously reported to be associated with Schizophrenia. The NrCAM contributes to creating cognitive deficiencies through the CAM’s signaling pathway. PRODH plays a vital role in creating SCZ negative symptoms through the signaling pathway of glutamatergic and NMDA receptors. ANK3 affects ion channel and molecular adhesion in Ranvier and initial segments of axons, leading to mental retardation, sleep disorder, and SCZ. ANKK1 encodes a protein kinase and was reported to be associated with alcohol addiction, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and SCZ. 

The subjects were selected from Schizophrenic patients referring to the Psychiatric Ward of Imam-Hussein Hospital and Schizophrenic Patients Support Institution (AHEBBA). 95 (30 Schizoaffective patients, 57 Paranoid patients, and 8 disorganized) patients were recruited as the subjects in the present case-control association study. 120 healthy subjects were recruited from the Tehran Medical Genetics Laboratory staff and a group of students from the Islamic Azad University of Science and Research in Tehran. The genotypes were determined with molecular genotyping techniques of PCR-RFLP, ARMS-PCR, and Cycle sequencing. Results were analyzed by the Chi-Square test using SPSS V. 24 and R, SNP STATE Package to investigate significant differences between cases and controls.

The incidence of schizophrenia was 68% and 32% among men and women, respectively. The evaluation of the allelic association between schizophrenia and all the candidate SNPs showed a significant association between NrCAMchr('39')s SNP rs10235968 and SCZ (P=0.001). Haplotype T, T, C in rs10235968, rs6967368, rs3763463, respectively, within the NrCAM gene, showed significant association with schizophrenia disorder (P=0.0001). 

No association was found between other candidate SNPs and SCZ among the subjects.