Linkage of schizophrenia with TPH2 and 5-HTR2A gene polymorphisms in the Malay population

The serotoninergic system has been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia and other behavioral disorders. Association studies have focused on the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene (TPH2) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A gene (5-HTR2A). We genotyped two single-nucleotide polymorphisms, A1438G of 5-HTR2A and intronic rs1386494 of TPH2 in the Malay population, using a sample size of 289 schizophrenic patients and 130 healthy controls. We found a significant association of A1438G of 5-HTR2A with schizophrenia in Malays. On the other hand, TPH2 polymorphism was not associated with schizophrenia. This is the first genetic association study concerning schizophrenia in the Malay population.