OPCML Gene as a Schizophrenia Susceptibility Locus in Thai Population

Opioid-binding protein/cell adhesion molecule (OPCML) gene has been recently identified as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia in Europeans. This study aims to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OPCML gene and risk of schizophrenia in a Thai population. DNA samples of 115 schizophrenia patients and 173 normal controls were genotyped using high-resolution melting analysis and analyzed by chi-square test of SPSS software. We observed a strong association between an intronic SNP of the OPCML gene (rs1784519) and the risk of schizophrenia in the Thai population [P=0.00036; odds ratio for the minor A allele, 2.11(1.57-2.84)]. The previously discovered SNP associated with schizophrenia in Europeans, rs3016384, also showed significant association with schizophrenia in the Thai population [P=0.01; odds ratio of the minor T allele, 0.59 (0.44-0.79)]. Therefore, the OPCML gene is considered to be a schizophrenia-susceptible gene in the Thai population.