[An attempt to identify 22q11.2 microdeletions in samples of the Hungarian schizophrenia DNA bank by multiplex ligation-based probe amplification (MLPA): literature review, methodology and results].

Schizophrenia is a severe debilitating psychiatric disorder, with a typical onset in adolescence or early adulthood. This condition is characterized by heterogeneous symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behaviour, affective flattening, and social isolation) and a life-time prevalence of 0.5-1.

[Investigation of CNTF, COMT, DDR1, DISC1, DRD2, DRD3, and DTNBP1 candidate genes in schizophrenia: Results from the Hungarian SCHIZOBANK Consortium].

Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by heterogeneous clinical symptoms. Although the pathogenesis of this disorder is poorly understood, several lines of evidence support the role of both common and rare genetic variants in the etiology of schizophrenia. Common variants, single nucleotide polymorphisms can be investigated by candidate gene association studies or genome-wide association studies, while rare variants, single nucleotide variants are assessable by means of candidate gene resequencing or whole-exome and genome sequencing using next generation sequencing.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta gene structural variants as possible risk factors of bipolar depression.

The glycogen synthase kinase 3B (GSK3B) is an important target protein of several antidepressants, such as lithium, a mood stabilizer. Recent studies associated structural variations of the GSK3B gene to bipolar disorder (BP), although replications were not conclusive. Here we present data on copy number variations (CNVs) of the GSK3B gene probing the 9th exon region in 846 individuals (414 controls, 172 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 260 with BP).

Theory of mind impairments in patients with deficit schizophrenia.

The deficit syndrome, a subgroup within schizophrenia, is characterized by enduring, idiopathic negative symptoms. Theory of mind (ToM), a domain of social cognition, is the ability of attributing mental states to ourselves and other people. ToM impairments have not been investigated earlier in deficit schizophrenia.

Genes and environments in schizophrenia: The different pieces of a manifold puzzle.

Genetic research targeting schizophrenia has undergone tremendous development during recent years. Supported by recently developed high-throughput genotyping technologies, both rare and common genetic variants have been identified that show consistent association with schizophrenia. These results have been replicated by independent studies and refined in meta-analyses.

[SCHIZOBANK - The Hungarian national schizophrenia biobank and its role in schizophrenia research and in personalized medicine].

Delineating the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases is a major challenge of the postgenomial era. Genetic factors are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric disorders as well as in the development of adverse reactions to psychoactive drugs. Containing large numbers of samples and linking them clinical data, biobanks are gaining importance in the studies of chronic multifactorial diseases.