Genetic Relationship between Schizophrenia and Nicotine Dependence.

ABSTRACT: It is well known that most schizophrenia patients smoke cigarettes. There are different hypotheses postulating the underlying mechanisms of this comorbidity. We used summary statistics from large meta-analyses of plasma cotinine concentration (COT), Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) and schizophrenia to examine the genetic relationship between these traits. We found that schizophrenia risk scores calculated at P-value thresholds of 5 × 10(-3) and larger predicted FTND and cigarettes smoked per day (CPD), suggesting that genes most significantly associated with schizophrenia were not associated with FTND/CPD, consistent with the self-medication hypothesis. The COT risk scores predicted schizophrenia diagnosis at P-values of 5 × 10(-3) and smaller, implying that genes most signi

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4862382 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature