Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Genetic linkage between X-chromosome markers and bipolar affective illness

Abstract

A pedigree study shows close linkage of bipolar affective illness (manic depression) to the X-chromosome markers colour blindness and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The maximum lod score ranges from 7.52 (assuming homogeneity) to 9.17 (assuming heterogeneity); that is, the odds in favour of linkage range between 3×107 to 1 and 109 to 1. These results provide confirmation that a major psychiatric disorder can be caused by a single genetic defect. As a possible first step in characterizing the primary genetic abnormality, this finding may have important implications for the aetiology, nosology, pathophysiology and, possibly, prevention and treatment of bipolar affective disorder. It also provides a means for identifying and characterizing homogeneous populations of patients and may help in clarifying aetiological heterogeneity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baron, M., Rainer, J. D. & Risch, N. J. Affective Dis. 3, 141–159 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Risch, N., Baron, M. & Mendlewicz, J. J. Psychiat. Res. 20, 275–288 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Reich, T., Clayton, P. J. & Winokur, G. Am. J. Psychiat. 125, 1358–1369 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Mendlewicz, J., Fleiss, J. L. & Fieve, R. R. J. Am. med. Ass. 222, 1624–1627 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mendlewicz, J. & Fleiss, J. L. Biol. Psychiat. 9, 261–294 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Baron, M. Archs gen. Psychiat. 24, 721–727 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Mendlewicz, J., Linkowski, P., Guroff, J. J. & Van Praag, H. M. Archs gen. Psychiat. 36, 1442–1447 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mendlewicz, J., Linkowski, P. & Wilmotte, J. Br. J. Psychiat. 137, 337–342 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. DelZampo, M., Bocchetta, A., Goldin, L. R. & Corsini, G. U. Acta psychiat. scand. 70, 282–287 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gershon, E. S., Targum, S. D., Matthysse, S. & Bunney, W. E. Jr Archs gen. Psychiat. 36, 1423–1430 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gerhson, E. S. & Bunney, W. E. J. psychiat. Res. 13, 99–117 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Risch, N. & Baron, M. Ann. hum. Genet. 46, 153–166 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Baron, M. & Risch, N. Neuropsychobiol. 8, 304–311 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gershon, E. S. et al. Acta psychiat. scand. 61, 319–338 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goodfellow, P. N., Davies, K. E. & Ropers, H. H. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 40, 296–352 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rinaldi, A. et al. Am. J. hum. Genet. 30, 339–345 (1978).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Gershon, E. S. & Liebowitz, J. H. Genetic Diseases Among Ashkenazi Jews (eds Goodman, R. M. & Motulsky, A. G.) 343–352 (Raven, New York, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Baron, M., Belmaker, R. H. & Risch, N. Biological Psychiatry 1985 (eds Shagass, C. et al.) 13–15 (Elsevier, New York, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Goodman, R. M. Genetic Disorders Among the Jewish People (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Endicott, J. & Spitzer, R. L. Archs. gen. Psychiat. 35, 837–862 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J. & Robins, E. Archs gen. Psychiat. 35, 773–779 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Weissman, M. M. et al. Archs gen. Psychiat. 41, 13–21 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Andreasen, N., Endicott, J., Spitzer, R. L. & Winokur, G. Archs gen. Psychiat. 34, 1229–1235 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Andreasen, N. C. et al. Archs. gen. Psychiat. (in the press).

  25. Ishihara, S. Ishihara's Tests for Colour-Blindness, 24 Plates Edition (Kanehara, Tokyo, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Henry, R. J., Cannon, D. C. & Winkelman, D. C. (eds) Clinical Chemistry: Principles and Techniques, 842–847 (Harper & Row, New York, 1974).

  27. Ott, J. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 26, 588–597 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Hodge, S. E., Morton, L. A., Tideman, S., Kidd, K. K. & Spence, M. A. Am. J. hum. Genet. 31, 761–762 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Morton, N. E. Am. J. hum. Genet. 8, 80–96 (1956).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Drayna, D. & White, R. Science 230, 753–758 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baron, M., Risch, N., Hamburger, R. et al. Genetic linkage between X-chromosome markers and bipolar affective illness. Nature 326, 289–292 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/326289a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/326289a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing