HLA--Cw4 in paranoid schizophrenia

On a group of 40 paranoid schizophrenic patients HLA serotypes for HLA--A, B, C antigens a significant increase of Cw4 was observed. It is argued that this finding represents the common denominator for previous data reporting increased A9 and A28 antigen in SCH because these antigens are frequently present on haplotypes bearing Cw4. The possible role of the HLA "central" parts, i.e. the chromosomal segment between HLA--A and HLA--B locus in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia was stressed.