SNPs and haplotypes in the S100B gene reveal association with schizophrenia

The S100B gene locates in 21q22.3 and produces neurotrophin mainly in astrocytes of CNS which can act as an extensive marker of glial cell integrity. The synaptic destabilization hypothesis (GGF/SD) suggests that the functional deficiency of growth factors like S100B is involved in the etiology of schizophrenia and the S100B serum concentration is reported to be significantly increased in patients with acute schizophrenia and decreased in chronic schizophrenia patients. To validate the association between S100B and schizophrenia, 384 cases and 401 controls, all Chinese Han subjects, were recruited. Four SNPs V1 (−960C > G), V2 (−111C > T), V3 (2757C > G, rs1051169), and V4 (5748C > T, rs9722) were studied. And haplotype V3-V4 (G-C) showed a significant association with schizophrenia. Our study showed an association between schizophrenia and a possible susceptible haplotype V3-V4 (G-C) which possesses a genetic tendency for increased S100B expression. Our results suggest that S100B could be a susceptible gene for schizophrenia and provide indirect evidence for the GGF/SD hypothesis.