FoxP2 is significantly associated with schizophrenia and major depression in the Chinese Han Population. (March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Tao; Zeng, Zhen; Zhao, Qian; Wang, Ti; Huang, Ke; Li, Junyan; Li, You; Liu, Jie; Wei, Zhiyun; Wang, Yang; Feng, Guoyin; He, Lin; Shi, Yongyong
• Is Part Of: World journal of biological psychiatry. Volume 14:Number 2(2013)
• Page Start: 146
• Page End: 150
• Publication Date: 2013-03
• Subjects: Biological psychiatry -- Periodicals; Biological Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2011.615860
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1562-2975

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objectives.</italic> The <italic>FoxP2</italic> gene, located on 7q31, encodes a transcription factor. It was first discovered through investigations of a large multigenerational family (the KE family) with a rare severe speech and language disorder (Fisher et al., Nat. Genet. 1998;18:168; Lai et al., Nature 2001;413:519). Subsequent studies gave powerful and convincing functional evidence to the connection between <italic>FoxP2</italic> and language disorder (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="CIT0028">Vernes et al. 2006</xref>; Groszer et al., Curr Biol 2008;18:354; Vernes et al., New Engl J Med 359(22):2337). Language disorder is commonly considered as a core symptom of schizophrenia and some other mental diseases; thus, we decided to investigate whether the <italic>FoxP2</italic> gene played a significant role in schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder in a sample set recruited from the Chinese Han population. <italic>Methods.</italic> In this study, we focused on 12 SNPs in the <italic>FoxP2</italic> gene and carried out case–control studies in 1135 schizophrenia patients, 1135 unrelated major depression patients, 1135 unrelated bipolar disorder patients and 1135 unrelated normal controls recruited from the Chinese Han population. <italic>Results.</italic> We found rs10447760 was significantly associated with schizophrenia (allelic <italic>P</italic> = 0.00069) and major depression (allelic <italic>P =</italic> 0.0011). <italic>Conclusions</italic>. Our study indicated that the rare variant rs10447760 in <italic>FoxP2</italic> may play an important role in schizophrenia and major depression in the Chinese Han population.</p> </abstract>