Original articles

Chromosome 22q11 in a Xhosa schizophrenia population

Liezl Koen, Dana J H Niehaus, Galen Wright, Louise Warnich, Greetje de Jong, Robin A Emsley, Sumaya Mall

Abstract


Chromosome 22q11 aberrations substantially increase the risk for developing schizophrenia. Although micro-deletions in this region have been extensively investigated in different populations across the world, little is known of their prevalence in African subjects with schizophrenia. We screened 110 African Xhosa-speaking participants with schizophrenia for the presence of micro-deletions. As further verification for the presence or absence of 22q11 microdeletions, we screened 238 Xhosa schizophrenia patients and 240 healthy Xhosa individuals from a larger schizophrenia candidate 22q11 gene study using molecular analyses. Data from molecular and cytogenetic analyses confirmed the absence of 22q11 microdeletions in the Xhosa schizophrenia samples. Although the absence of chromosome 22q11 micro-deletions in this group of patients does not exclude the possibility that it may occur in Xhosa schizophrenia patients, we concluded an extremely low prevalence. Our findings suggest that unique susceptibility loci may be present in this group.

Authors' affiliations

Liezl Koen, Ngaphakathi Workgroup, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa

Dana J H Niehaus, Ngaphakathi Workgroup, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa

Galen Wright, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Louise Warnich, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Greetje de Jong, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Robin A Emsley, Ngaphakathi Workgroup, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa

Sumaya Mall, Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

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Keywords

Xhosa; schizophrenia; chromosome 22q11

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2012;102(3):165-166.

Article History

Date submitted: 2011-09-29
Date published: 2012-02-23

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