Association of histone deacetylase genes with schizophrenia in Korean population

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are pivotal enzymes in the epigenetic modification or regulatory mechanisms of gene transcription. Based on previous assertions that the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is associated with epigenetics, we hypothesized that polymorphisms of HDAC genes might be related to schizophrenia. We recruited 278 patients with schizophrenia and 234 normal controls from a Korean population. Clinical information of the group with schizophrenia was obtained from medical records, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and the Operational Criteria Checklist (OPCRIT). Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HDAC genes were selected, including rs2530223 of HDAC3, rs1063639 of HDAC4, and rs1555048 of HDAC10. For the analysis of genetic data, SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer, and Helixtree programs were used. In the present study, rs1063639 of the HDAC4 gene showed associations with schizophrenia in the codominant and dominant models. In the analysis of clinical phenotypes, smoking status was associated with rs2530223 of HDAC3 in the codominant and recessive models. The results suggest that HDAC3 and HDAC4 genes might play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in a Korean population.