Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 SNPs and Susceptibility to Schizophrenia: Evidence from Malaysia

OBJECTIVE: Even though the role of the DICS1 gene as a risk factor for schizophrenia is still unclear, there is substantial evidence from functional and cell biology studies that supports the connection of the gene with schizophrenia. The studies associating the DISC1 gene with schizophrenia in Asian populations are limited to East-Asian populations. Our study examined several DISC1 markers of schizophrenia that were identified in the Caucasian and East-Asian populations in Malaysia and assessed the role of rs2509382, which is located at 11q14.3, the mutual translocation region of the famous DISC1 translocation [t (1; 11) (p42.1; q14.3)]. METHODS: We genotyped eleven single-neucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) within or related to DISC1 (rs821597, rs821616, rs4658971, rs1538979, rs843979, rs2812385, rs1407599, rs4658890, and rs2509382) using the PCR-RFLP methods. RESULTS: In all, there were 575 participants (225 schizophrenic patients and 350 healthy controls) of either Malay or Chinese ethnicity. The case-control analyses found two SNPs that were associated with schizophrenia [rs4658971 (p=0.030; OR=1.43 (1.35-1.99) and rs1538979-(p=0.036; OR=1.35 (1.02-1.80)] and rs2509382-susceptibility among the males schizophrenics [p=0.0082; OR=2.16 (1.22-3.81)]. This is similar to the meta-analysis findings for the Caucasian populations. CONCLUSION: The study supports the notion that the DISC1 gene is a marker of schizophrenia susceptibility and that rs2509382 in the mutual DISC1 translocation region is a susceptibility marker for schizophrenia among males in Malaysia. However, the finding of the study is limited due to possible genetic stratification and the small sample size.

Prevalence of Depression and Its Associated Risk Factors in the Primary Care Setting in Kuantan.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of depression and its associated risk factors among adults attending primary care clinics in Kuantan. Study Design: Cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: Public primary care clinics in Kuantan, Pahang between July 2008 and September 2008. Methodology: The respondents were selected through simple random sampling among adult attendees of public primary care clinics in Kuantan, Pahang. The Malay validated version of Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was administered as a screening tool for depression. A part from social-demographic data, we also obtained information on medical illnesses and history of substances abuse. A total of 502 patients were approached and 452 respondents agreed to be enrolled in the study. Results: The study found that 10.6 percent of them were having depression, 0.7 percent had history of drug abuse, 2.4 percent had consumed alcohol and 21.7 percent suffered from chronic illness. The study revealed that depression was significantly associated with chronic illness (OR: 2.702, 95% CI [1.409, 5.184]), and drug abuse (OR: 39.152, 95% CI [1.662, 992.291]). Conclusion: Adults with history of drug abuse or those who suffered from chronic illnesses have higher risk of suffering from depression and need greater attention from primary care providers.