Fibronectin is one of the cell adhesion proteins. Adhesion molecules play an important role in neural and synaptic genesis, and their dysfunction may result in neurodevelopmental abnormalities, which have been assumed to be a factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. To examine the possible involvement of fibronectin in the etiology of schizophrenia, we analyzed six polymorphisms, located in introns 2, 21, 24, and 26, and exons 20 and 28, in the human fibronectin gene (FN1) of schizophrenic patients in the Japanese population (n = 104) and age-and gender-matched controls (n = 104). No significant positive association was observed between either of the polymorphisms and schizophrenia, nor was an association found between either of the polymorphisms and any subtypes of schizophrenia. These data did not provide evidence for a contribution of the FN1 gene to susceptibility to schizophrenia.
Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.