Am J Psychiatry 1994; 151:107-111
Copyright © 1994 by American Psychiatric Association
Failure to find evidence for linkage or association between the dopamine D3 receptor gene and schizophrenia
O Sabate, D Campion, T d'Amato, MP Martres, P Sokoloff, B Giros, M Leboyer, M Jay, F Guedj and F Thibaut
Laboratoire de genetique Moleculaire de la Neurotransmission et des Processus Neurodegeneratifs; CHS du Rouvray, Sotteville les Rouen, France.
OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to assess the possible involvement of
the dopamine D3 receptor gene (DRD3) in the etiology of schizophrenia. The
authors' approach included a population study and a family study using both
parametric (lod score) and nonparametric (affected pedigree member) methods
of linkage analysis. METHOD: Two different DNA markers were studied at the
DRD3 locus. The family study included 35 multiplex families of
schizophrenic subjects for the linkage analyses. The population study
involved 50 unrelated schizophrenic subjects and 50 normal comparison
subjects from the same ethnic and geographic origin. RESULTS: Whichever
clinical classification was used to define the pathological phenotype
(schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum), the results of the lod score and
affected pedigree member studies did not provide any evidence of linkage of
the DRD3 gene to the illness. The negative results of the association study
reinforce these results. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that the DRD3 gene has
a predisposing role in schizophrenia was not supported by these population
and family studies. However, the possibility that this gene has a role in
the etiology of the disease cannot be definitely excluded because of the
intrinsic limitations of the methods of analysis and the number of subjects
studied.
