Investigation of the icam-1 g241a and a469g gene polymorphisms in schizophrenia

Abstract

Considering the strong hereditary component of schizophrenia and the proposed role of (prenatal) viral infections as environmental factors, immune-related genes appear to be consequential candidate genes. Based on the findings of a reduced cellular immune response and of altered levels of the intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 in schizophrenia, the authors investigated the two G241A and A469G SNPs in the gene coding for ICAM-1. In contrast to disorders with a predominant cellular immune response like rheumatoid arthritis, these SNPs were not associated with schizophrenia.