OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population.

METHODSTwo hundred and twelve schizophrenic patients and 168 healthy controls were recruited according to CCMD-3. The polymorphisms of MAOA gene were determined with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The case-control association analysis was adopted to analyze the frequencies of genotype and allele in schizophrenic patients and controls.

RESULTS(1) The genotypes of MAOA gene were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in patient group and control group (chi2 = 0.618, df= 2, P> 0.05; chi2 = 3.173, df= 2, P> 0.05). (2) The distributions of genotypes or alleles of MAOA genes had no significant difference between patient group and control group (P> 0.05). (3)Divided by sex, the frequency of CT genotype in male patients was higher than that in male controls (chi2 = 7.654, P= 0.022). (4) There were no significant differences of genotypic and allelic distribution in MAOA genes between schizophrenic patients with positive family history and schizophrenic patients with negative family history and among different clinical subtypes in schizophrenic patients (P> 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNo association between MAOA gene and schizophrenia is found in Chinese Han population, but CT genotype is likely to be a susceptible factor of male schizophrenia.