Association between a null mutation in the human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene and increased incidence of psychiatric diseases?

We report a possible association between a null mutation in the human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene and psychiatric diseases. Prior findings that the mutant allele frequency is not significantly elevated in patients suffering from neurological diseases are confirmed. The frequency of the mutant allele was higher among psychiatric patients (0.192, n = 297) than among healthy controls and neurological patients (0.142, n = 267). This difference (one-tailed 2 x 2 chi-square test, P < 0.05) might be evidence that disturbances in the neurotrophic factor system could play a crucial role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, mainly psychoses.