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Meta-analysis identifies an association between the dopamine D2 receptor gene and schizophrenia

Molecular Psychiatry volume 8, pages 911–915 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The D2 subtype of dopamine receptor has been widely implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Early evidence supporting an association between the Cys311Ser polymorphism of the D2 receptor gene (DRD2) and schizophrenia was subsequently refuted and, eventually, dismissed. From all 24 published case–control studies, we calculated a pooled estimate of this association. The pooled odds ratio was 1.3 for the Cys allele, which was highly significant (P=0.007). The odds ratio derived from each study was unrelated to the ethnicity or gender composition of the sample, or the age of the control group. There was no evidence of publication bias or excessive influence attributable to any given study. Although more family-based studies are needed to confirm this relation, our results provide strong evidence that DRD2 influences susceptibility to schizophrenia.

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Acknowledgements

Preparation of this work was supported in part by Grants RO1MH43518, R01MH59624, and R01MH60485 from the National Institute of Mental Health to Dr Ming T Tsuang. This work was completed when Dr Glatt was a trainee in the National Institute of Mental Health funded Psychiatric Genetics Training Program at the Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics (R25MH60485, M Tsuang, PI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, MA, USA

    S J Glatt, S V Faraone & M T Tsuang

  2. Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics, Boston, MA, USA

    S J Glatt, S V Faraone & M T Tsuang

  3. Psychiatry Service, Brockton-West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brockton, MA, USA

    M T Tsuang

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    M T Tsuang

  5. Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    S V Faraone & M T Tsuang

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  1. S J Glatt
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Correspondence to M T Tsuang.

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Glatt, S., Faraone, S. & Tsuang, M. Meta-analysis identifies an association between the dopamine D2 receptor gene and schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 8, 911–915 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001321

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