The HLA system and schizophrenia

Abstract

Various diseases with a noticeable autoimmune component and frequent occurrence within one family show a statistically significant correlation with specific human leukocyte antigens (HLA). This correlation was also shown in studies of HLA in psychiatric disorders. However, results have been contradictory. The phenotype frequencies of HLA specificities were investigated in 100 schizophrenic patients and 472 controls from the same geographic area in Germany. The frequency of HLA B27 was significantly increased in the patient group as a whole (P=0.017) and in the subgroups of paranoid patients (P=0.005), chronic schizophrenics (PPP=0.004). In the latter three groups an elevated incidence of HLA A9 was also found. The combination A9-B27 was detected in 0.63% of our control group and in 7% of the patients (PP=0,017). In den Gruppen der paranoiden (P=0,005), der chronisch Schizophrenen (PPP<0,001). 85,7% der Träger dieser Kombination waren chronisch paranoid Kranke mit ungünstiger Prognose. Diese Studie weist auf die Möglichkeit hin, daß die HLA-Bestimmung für genetische Studien, aber auch zur Differentialdiagnose und zur Prognose der Schizophrenie einmal von Nutzen sein könnte.