Further tests for linkage of bipolar affective disorder to the tyrosine hydroxylase gene locus on chromosome 11p15 in a new series of multiplex British affective disorder pedigrees [published erratum appears in Am J Psychiatry 1997 Jan;154(1):139]

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to confirm or refute previous reports that link bipolar affective disorder to polymorphic DNA markers at or near the gene for tyrosine hydroxylase. METHOD: A previous linkage analysis, which used a tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism at the tyrosine hydroxylase locus, of six Icelandic families was extended to include a new series of 17 multiply affected British families. RESULTS: Overall lod scores under the assumption of locus heterogeneity were between 1.20 and 1.40 at zero recombination with tyrosine hydroxylase, and these scores persisted across three affective disorder models. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide some support for linking affective disorder to this genetic region and suggest that additional linkage and association studies should be conducted to determine whether tyrosine hydroxylase or a nearby locus contributes to susceptibility to bipolar affective disorder in some families.