An association study of DRD2 gene polymorphisms with schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population

Dopamine signaling is strongly implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Because of the essential role dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) in dopamine signaling, DRD2 gene has been regarded as one of the top candidate genes for SZ. However, the findings from linkage and association analyses on this gene are mixed and largely inconsistent across various studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of DRD2 gene variation and the risk for SZ in a Chinese Han population. Three SNPs (rs1801028, rs6275 and rs6277) of DRD2 gene were genotyped in a patient–control sample involving 421 SZ patients and 404 healthy controls. Our data indicated a nominally significant association of rs6277 with SZ, with T-allele being the risk allele (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.03–2.43, P = 0.034). This study suggests that rs6277 T-allele may play a role in the genetic vulnerability for SZ, supporting the involvement of DRD2 gene in SZ pathogenesis.