Novel Genetic Risk Marker for Paranoid Schizophrenia in the Chromosomal Region 9q21.13 in Tatars: A Genome-Wide Association Analysis

Schizophrenia, the most common severe mental illness, leads to a serious decrease in higher functions, mainly to a change in cognitive functions and perception of reality. Both genetic and environmental factors are involved in its pathogenesis; however, its genetic component still needs to be studied. The aim of the study was to identify genetic markers of paranoid schizophrenia in Tatars from the Republic of Bashkortostan. Genome-wide genotyping of DNA samples was carried out on the PsychChip biochip, which included 610,000 single nucleotide polymorphic variants (SNPs). The studied sample consisted of 357 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 383 healthy individuals of Tatar ethnicity. As a result of the study, the association of the SNP rs12376586 of the MAMDC2 gene located in the region 9q21.13 with the development of paranoid schizophrenia in Tatars living in the Republic of Bashkortostan was established for the first time.