Association analysis of an (AC)n repeat polymorphism in the GABAB receptor gene and schizophrenia

The human γ‐aminobutyric acid type B (GABA_B) receptor gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia due to its chromosomal location and neurobiologic roles. In the present study, association analyses of genetic polymorphisms of the GABA_B receptor gene with schizophrenia were carried out in 102 unrelated schizophrenic patients and 100 healthy controls, using a polymerase chain reaction‐based, single‐strand conformational polymorphism analysis. Although the Ala20Val and Gly489Ser mutations were not found in our samples, we found a novel polymorphism of (AC)n dinucleotide repeats located approximately 1.6 kb upstream from the translational start site. No significant difference in allele frequencies was found between controls and patients with schizophrenia (P = 0.0587) using the Monte Carlo method. Significant differences were found between controls and patients with continuous‐course schizophrenia (P = 0.0019), and between controls and patients with a positive family history of psychoses (P = 0.0015). These differences, however, were not significant after Bonferroni correction. These data did not support our hypothesis that polymorphisms of the GABA_B receptor gene may confer vulnerability for schizophrenia. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.