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Consanguinity and increased risk for schizophrenia in Egypt
Hader Mansour1, Warda Fathi, Lambertus Klei
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Schizophrenia Research
|May 4, 2010
Summary
Consanguinity, or parental relatedness, is a significant risk factor for schizophrenia (SZ) in Egypt. This finding, similar to bipolar I disorder (BP1), highlights public health concerns and potential for genetic research.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatric Genetics
- Human Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Consanguinity is a suspected risk factor for psychoses in the Middle East, but lacks robust control data.
- Previous Egyptian studies indicated higher parental consanguinity in bipolar I disorder (BP1) patients.
- This study investigates consanguinity in schizophrenia (SZ) within the same Egyptian population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between consanguinity and schizophrenia in an Egyptian population.
- To compare consanguinity rates in schizophrenia patients versus controls.
- To evaluate the public health implications of consanguinity as a risk factor for psychosis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted in Mansoura, Egypt, involving 75 schizophrenia patients and 126 controls.
- Consanguinity prevalence was determined through family history ('self-report') and DNA analysis (STRPs).
- DNA-based inbreeding coefficients were calculated to confirm self-reported rates.
Main Results:
- Self-reported consanguinity was significantly higher in schizophrenia patients (46.6%) compared to controls (19.8%).
- DNA-based analysis confirmed elevated inbreeding coefficients in schizophrenia cases (0.058) versus controls (0.022).
- The odds ratio for consanguinity in SZ patients was 3.53.
Conclusions:
- Consanguinity rates are significantly elevated in Egyptian schizophrenia patients from the Nile delta region.
- The observed association is comparable to that found for bipolar I disorder (BP1).
- These findings suggest consanguinity as a substantial risk factor, warranting public health attention and potentially guiding gene mapping studies.
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