The association between paternal age and schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population.
- Author:
Yue-jing WU
1
;
Xiang LIU
;
Gao-feng ZHAO
;
Xiao-hong MA
;
Tao LI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; genetics; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Paternal Age; Schizophrenia; genetics; Young Adult
- From: Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2011;28(3):266-269
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate whether advanced paternal age is related to an increased risk of schizophrenia in Chinese Han population.
METHODSA case-control design study was performed. Three hundred and fifty-one patients with schizophrenia and 199 unrelated healthy volunteers were recruited. By using Logistic regression, paternal age was divided into five categories, and maternal age into four categories. Setting the paternal age of 26-30 years as reference, the OR, P values and 95% CI of the other paternal age categories were analyzed, respectively. The participant's sex, age and parental age at birth were used as covariants for adjusting confounding effects.
RESULTSThe OR for schizophrenia in offspring whose paternal age at birth of 31-35 years, 36-40 years, and ≥ 41 years categories were 3.834, 8.805, and 11.619 respectively. The advanced maternal age had no significant effects on the risk for schizophrenia in offspring.
CONCLUSIONThe advanced paternal age was associated with elevated risk for schizophrenia in offspring among a Han Chinese population. Putative biological mechanisms may include accumulated de novo mutations and alterations in epigenetic regulations with aging in spermatogenesis.
