Association between schizophrenia and the syntaxin 1A gene

Background: Both microarray and candidate molecule studies have demonstrated that protein and mRNA expression of syntaxin and other genes involved in synaptic function are altered in the cerebral cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Genetic association between polymorpbic markers in the syntaxin 1A gene and schizophrenia was assessed in a matched case-control sample of 192 pairs, and in an independent sample of 238 nuclear families. Results: In the family-based sample, a significant genetic association was found between schizophrenia and one of the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested: an intron 7 SNP (transmission disequilibrium test [TDT] chi(2) = 5.898; df = 1; p = .015, family-based association test[FBAT]z = 2.280, p = .023). When the results for the TDT and case-control analyses were combined, the association was stronger (n = 430; z(c) = 2.859; p = .004). Haplotype analysis supported the association with several significant values that appear to be driven by the intron 7 SNP. Conclusions: The results should be treated with caution until replicated, but this is the first report of a genetic association between syntaxin 1A and schizophrenia.