Separate studies at Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Stanford University School of Medicine were combined in an effort to determine a genetic link to schizophrenia.
The studies compared the DNA of 8014 people with schizophrenia with the DNA of 19,090 people who did not have schizophrenia.
The results identified some 30,000 variations between schizophrenic people's DNA and that of normal people.
The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which plays a role in the immune system and in controlling what genes get turned on and when, was found to be the area of variation. THE MHC is located on chromosome 6.
The results were found to indicate that:
1) 90 percent of schizophrenia is inherited,
2) Bipolar disease is also linked to variations in the same area of chromosome 6, and
3) Mothers who have the flu while pregnant are more likely to have children with the schizophrenic variations.
All the researchers say there are worlds of work yet to be done to understand the structure and process let alone find a cure.
One commonsense recommendation for women is to have flu shots annually. That could prevent the trigger mechanism. Having your children immunized against measles, mumps, the flu, and other common diseases are a good idea also.
Schizophrenia affects about one in a hundred people to varying degrees.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8128005.stm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106151437
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131309.htm
Jianxin S, et al. Common variants on chromosome 6p22.1 are associated with schizophrenia. Nature, July 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1038/nature08192
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