The effect of DISC1 on regional gray matter density of schizophrenia in Han Chinese population.

Schizophrenia is thought to arise in part from abnormal gray matter (GM), which are partly shared by the relatives of the probands. DISC1 is one of the most promising susceptibility genes of schizophrenia and a SNP rs821597 (A) in the gene was associated with schizophrenia in Han Chinese population. In this study, 61 healthy controls and 72 with schizophrenic patients were genotyped at rs821597, and underwent T1-weighted MRI for the density of GM. The results showed that the risk allele (A) carriers had higher GM density in regional left parahippocampal gyrus and right orbitofrontal cortex in schizophrenic patients, but had reduced GM density of these brain regions in healthy controls. The DISC1 variant rs821597 may confer risk for schizophrenia by its effects on the regional GM in left parahippocampal gyrus and right orbitofrontal cortex with other risk factors for schizophrenia.