The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007) 191: 402-407. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.036129
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ZAMMIT, S.
Right arrow Articles by OWEN, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by ZAMMIT, S.
Right arrow Articles by OWEN, M. J.

Genotype effects of CHRNA7, CNR1 and COMT in schizophrenia: interactions with tobacco and cannabis use

STANLEY ZAMMIT, PhD, GILLIAN SPURLOCK, PhD, HYWEL WILLIAMS, PhD, NADINE NORTON, PhD, NIGEL WILLIAMS, PhD, MICHAEL C. O’DONOVAN, PhD, FRCPsych and MICHAEL J. OWEN, MB, PhD

Department of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

Correspondence: Dr Stanley Zammit, Department of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK. Tel: +44 (0)2920 743058; fax: +44 (0)2920 747839; email: zammits{at}Cardiff.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Background Genetic variations might modify associations between schizophrenia and cannabis or tobacco use.

Aims To examine whether variants within the cannabinoid receptor (CNR1) and {alpha}7 nicotinic receptor (CHRNA7) genes are associated with schizophrenia, and whether these effects vary according to cannabis or tobacco use. We also examined a putative interaction between cannabis and Val158Met within the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT).

Method Genotype effects of CHRNA7 and CNR1were studied in a case–control sample of 750 individuals with schizophrenia and 688 controls, with interactions for these genes studied in small subsamples. A case-only design of 493 ofthe schizophrenia group was used to examine interactions between cannabis use and COMT.

Results There was no evidence of association between schizophrenia and CNR1 (OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.82–1.13) or CHRNA7 (OR=1.07, 95% CI 0.77–1.49) genotypes, or of interactions between tobacco use and CHRNA7, or cannabis use and CNR1or COMT genotypes.

Conclusions Neither CNR1 nor CHRNA7 variation appears to alter the risk of schizophrenia. Furthermore, our results do not support the presence of different effects of cannabis use on schizophrenia according to variation within COMT.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
SUKHWINDER S. SHERGILL
BJP 2007 191: 373-a17-373. [Full Text]  

PETER TYRER
BJP 2007 191: 470. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
J. van Os and B. P.F. Rutten
Gene-Environment-Wide Interaction Studies in Psychiatry
Am J Psychiatry, September 1, 2009; 166(9): 964 - 966.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Schizophr BullHome page
C. Henquet, M. Di Forti, P. Morrison, R. Kuepper, and R. M. Murray
Gene-Environment Interplay Between Cannabis and Psychosis
Schizophr Bull, November 1, 2008; 34(6): 1111 - 1121.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
P. Tyrer
From the Editor's desk
The British Journal of Psychiatry, April 1, 2008; 192(4): 320 - 320.
[Full Text] [PDF]