Test of Xq26.3-28 linkage in bipolar and unipolar affective disorder in families selected for absence of male to male transmission.

BACKGROUND

There have been several reports of linkage between genetic markers on the X chromosome at Xq26.3-28 and bipolar affective disorder in family samples obtained from distinct ethnic and geographical origins. As part of a genome search in a series of 23 UK and Icelandic families, specifically selected for their large size and power to resolve the issue of linkage heterogeneity, we have tested the hypothesis that there is a locus for a genetic subtype of bipolar affective disorder which is linked to this region.

METHOD

In families selected on the basis of absent male to male transmission for affective disorder, we performed two-point and FASTMAP multipoint linkage analyses with markers spanning the region between the genetic loci DXS102 and F8.

RESULTS

We found negative lod scores for several models of affection status in families selected under stringent and relaxed criteria for the absence of male to male transmission.

CONCLUSIONS

In the family sample we have obtained, our study provides no support for the presence of a locus increasing genetic susceptibility to bipolar affective disorder in this region of the X chromosome. It is likely that our finding reflects heterogeneity of linkage for bipolar and genetically related unipolar disorder that exists in specific ethnic populations. Alternatively the X-linked subtype of the disorder may have been present only in a few of our small families resulting in loss of power to detect the Xq26.3-28 linked subtype.