A rare coding variant within the wolframin gene in bipolar and unipolar affective disorder cases

A recent report has shown that Wolfram syndrome carriers (heterozygotes) are 26-fold more likely to require psychiatric hospitalization compared with non-carriers, and that Wolfram syndrome heterozygotes may constitute approximately 25% of individuals hospitalized with depression and suicide attempts. We analyzed a His611Arg polymorphism of the wolframin gene by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and HhaI restriction digestion, in 158 bipolar I and 163 unipolar major affective disorder cases, and 316 controls. Statistical analyses of allele or genotype frequencies do not support a major role for wolframin in affective disorder. HhaI restriction digestion and sequencing of PCR products from four affective disorder cases showed a heterozygous Ala559Thr change. The Ala559Thr variant was not detectable in 382 controls tested. Thus, the rare wolframin 559Thr allele deserves consideration as a risk allele for affective disorder.