Linkage of bipolar disorder to chromosome 18q and the validity of bipolar II disorder.
BACKGROUND: An analysis of the relationship between clinical features and allele sharing could clarify the issue of genetic linkage between bipolar affective disorder ( BPAD) and chromosome 18q, contributing to the definition of genetically valid clinical subtypes. METHODS: Relatives ascertained through a proband who had bipolar I disorder ( BPI) were interviewed by a psychiatrist, assigned an all-sources diagnosis, and genotyped with 32 markers on 18q21-23. Exploratory findings from the first 28 families (n = 247) were tested prospectively in an additional 30 families (n = 259), and the effect of confirmed findings on the linkage evidence was assessed. RESULTS: In exploratory analyses, paternal allele sharing on 18q21 was significantly (P =.03) associated with a diagnostic subtype, and was greatest in pairs where both siblings had bipolar II disorder (BPII). Prospective analysis confirmed the finding that BPII-BPII sibling pairs showed significantly (P =.016) greater paternal allele sharing. Paternal allele sharing across 18q21-23 was also significantly greater in families with at least one BPII-BPII sibling pair. In these families, multipoint affected sibling-pair linkage analysis produced a peak paternal lod score of 4.67 (1-lod confidence interval, 12 centimorgans [cM]) vs 1.53 (1-lod confidence interval, 44 cM) in all families. CONCLUSIONS: Affected sibling pairs with BPII discriminated between families who showed evidence of linkage to 18q, and families who did not. Families with a BPII sibling pair produced an increased lod score and improved linkage resolution. These findings, limited by the small number of BPII-BPII sibling pairs, strengthen the evidence of genetic linkage between BPAD and chromosome 18q, and provide preliminary support for BPII as a genetically valid subtype of BPAD.[1]References
- Linkage of bipolar disorder to chromosome 18q and the validity of bipolar II disorder. McMahon, F.J., Simpson, S.G., McInnis, M.G., Badner, J.A., MacKinnon, D.F., DePaulo, J.R. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry (2001) [Pubmed]
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