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Biomedical subjects

H G Hwu

Publications and source records attributed to H G Hwu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Suggestive evidence for linkage of schizophrenia to markers at chromosome 15q13-14 in Taiwanese families.

In order to evaluate the linkage of schizophrenia to loci at chromosome 15q, we genotyped six microsatellite markers at chromosome 15q11-14 in 52 Taiwanese schizophrenic families. Two phenotype models (narrow: DSM-IV schizophrenia only; and broad: including schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and other nonaffective psychotic disorders) were used to define the disease phenotype. Maximum nonparametric linkage scores (NPL scores) of 3.33 (P = 0.0003) and 2.96 (P = 0.0008) were obtained at the marker D15S976 under broad and narrow models, respectively. Positive linkage results were also observed at the marker D15S1360, previously reported to have significant linkage to a neurophysiological deficit of schizophrenia, with NPL scores of 2.71 (P = 0.003) and 2.78 (P = 0.002) under broad and narrow models, respectively. The results provide suggestive linkage evidence of schizophrenia to loci at chromosome 15q13-14 in an ethnically distinct Taiwanese sample.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15↗
PubMed2001

Lack of association between schizophrenia and the phospholipase-A(2) genes cPLA2 and sPLA2.

The well-established role of genetic factors in the etiology of schizophrenia together with reports of allelic association with cPLA2, a phospholipase-A(2) gene, a reported increase of phospholipase-A(2) activity, and the phospholipase-A(2) hypothesis of Horrobin et al. [1995: Med Hypotheses 45:605-613] strongly support cPLA2 (PLA2G4A) and sPLA2 (PLA2G1B) as candidate genes for schizophrenia. In search for allelic association between these phospholipase-A(2) genes and schizophrenia, two samples of Chinese and European origins, in total 328 unrelated schizophrenic patients and their parents, were investigated using Falk and Rubinstein's haplotype relative risk method. Both genes showed marginally significant evidence for association in the total sample (P <or= 0.05), which, however, did not survive the Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. In conclusion, our results do not provide support for the phospholipase-A(2) hypothesis of schizophrenia. Additional studies will be necessary to rule out a possible confounding effect of niacin sensitivity as postulated by Hudson et al. [1999: Biol Psychiatr 46:401-405].

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Association of 5HT2A receptor gene polymorphism and alcohol abuse with behavior problems.

This study investigated the association between T/C polymorphism, at position 102, of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor gene and alcoholism with and without behavior problems. Eighty-five subjects (45 men, 40 women) with alcohol abuse, 75 subjects (51 men, 24 women) with alcohol dependence, and 70 normal control subjects (21 men, 49 women) participated in the study. The results show that the frequency of the homozygous T102 genotype was significantly lower in the group of male alcohol abuse with behavior problems than in the female group (chi(2) = 4.072, df = 1, P < 0.05) and the allele frequency of T102 was also lower in the male group than in the female group (chi(2) = 4.187, df = 1, P < 0.05). Of the male alcohol abuse subjects, the group with behavior problems was found to have lower frequencies of the T102 allele than the group without behavior problems (chi(2) = 4.328, df = 1, P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that alcoholism is heterogeneous and male alcohol abuse with behavioral problems was associated with T/C 102 polymorphism of the 5HT2A receptor gene. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:797-800, 2000.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of linkage of markers on chromosome 6p with schizophrenia in Taiwanese families.

Previous studies have indicated possible linkage of schizophrenia with chromosome 6p21-24. In an attempt to replicate these findings, we studied the linkage of schizophrenia with nine markers on chromosome 6p21-24 in 39 Taiwanese schizophrenic nuclear families with at least two affected siblings. Two diagnostic models (narrow: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV schizophrenia only; and broad: including schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and other nonaffective psychotic disorders) were used to define the disease phenotypes. With the broad and narrow diagnostic models, the marker D6S296 produced maximum two-point lod scores of 1.46 (straight theta = 0.2) and 1.35 (straight theta = 0. 2), respectively, in the recessive inheritance model. Assuming locus heterogeneity, a multipoint lod score of 0.85 was obtained between markers D6S296 and D6S277 under the narrow/recessive model. Maximum nonparametric lod scores of 1.25 ( p= 0.09) and 1.36 (p = 0.08) were observed, but still not statistically significant, at D6S296 in the narrow and broad diagnostic models, respectively. Both two-point analysis of the dominant model (lod score 0.85) and nonparametric analysis (lod score 1.25) showed a mild peak lod score appeared at marker D6S 285 as well. The results add some support to the suggestive linkage of schizophrenia with markers in the regions of chromosome 6p22 and 6p24 in an ethnically distinct Taiwanese sample. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:74-78, 2000.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

A controlled study of postpartum depression in adult women.

The main purpose of the study was to examine the hypothesis that the postpartum period represents a time of increased risk for depression. The other psychosocial variables on stress, social support and self-esteem were also measured. Adult women, ranging in age from 22 to 45 years, comprised two samples: 148 postnatal women (22 to 44 years) and 148 controls (22 to 45 years). Five sets of instruments were used to collect data: the Demographic Data Form, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, the Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Although the postnatal group tended to have a higher rate of depression, the difference was not statistically significant. No significant differences in stress, social support, self-esteem or depression were found between these two groups. However, postnatal women reported significantly higher somatic symptoms of depression than controls. Results of the stepwise multiple regression indicated that the best subset to predict postpartum depression was self-esteem, stress, postnatal complication and work status. The best subset to predict depression of controls included self-esteem, social support, socioeconomic status and stress. Our data indicate that the psychosocial health status of postnatal women is not significantly different from the controls, although the postnatal women complain more about the loss of bodily functions. The possible explanations deserve further research.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of suicide ideation and suicide attempts in nine countries.

BACKGROUND: There are few cross-national comparisons of the rates of suicide ideation and attempts across diverse countries. Nine independently conducted epidemiological surveys using similar diagnostic assessment and criteria provided an opportunity to obtain that data. METHODS: Suicide ideation and attempts were assessed on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule in over 40000 subjects drawn from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, France, West Germany, Lebanon, Taiwan, Korea and New Zealand. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence rates/100 for suicide ideation ranged from 2.09 (Beirut) to 18.51 (Christchurch, New Zealand). Lifetime prevalence rates/100 for suicide attempts ranged from 0.72 (Beirut) to 5.93 (Puerto Rico). Females as compared to males had only marginally higher rates of suicidal ideation in most countries, reaching a two-fold increase in Taiwan. Females as compared to males had more consistently higher rates for suicide attempts, reaching a two- to three-fold increase in most countries. Suicide ideation and attempts in most countries were associated with being currently divorced/separated as compared to currently married. CONCLUSIONS: While the rates of suicide ideation varied widely by country, the rates of suicide attempts were more consistent across most countries. The variations were only partly explained by variation in rates of psychiatric disorders, divorce or separation among countries and are probably due to cultural features that we do not, as yet, understand.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

High seroprevalence of Borna virus infection in schizophrenic patients, family members and mental health workers in Taiwan.

Borna disease virus (BDV), a negative-strand RNA virus, has been reported to be associated with severe psychiatric disorders. The association is mainly based on the findings that patients with schizophrenia and depression have a higher seroprevalence rate of BDV-specific antibodies than controls. In addition, psychiatric patients were also found to have a higher detection rate of BDV transcripts in their blood than controls. By using an improved Western blot analysis, we first demonstrated that Chinese schizophrenic patients from Taiwan also have a higher seroprevalence of BDV-specific antibodies than controls (12.1% vs 2.9%, P< 0.001), providing support to the positive association between BDV and psychiatric disorders in our population. Because of the contagious nature of viral infection, we further examined patients' family members and mental health workers, who have close contact with patients. We found that both groups also have a higher seroprevalence of BDV-specific antibodies, 12.1% and 9.8%, respectively, than controls. This finding provides some evidence for a possible human-to-human transmission of Borna disease virus. Our finding needs further independent verification from other research groups and the clinical relevance of this preliminary observation deserves further study.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Psychiatric co-morbidity among male heroin addicts: differences between hospital and incarcerated subjects in Taiwan.

AIMS: To examine the differences in psychiatric co-morbidity between hospital and incarcerated groups of heroin addicts in Taiwan. DESIGN: Life-time prevalence of DSM-III-R-based coexisting psychiatric disorders, including personality disorders, were surveyed. SETTINGS: A psychiatric hospital and two prisons. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and sixty heroin users who were incarcerated in prisons, and 47 heroin users who voluntarily sought help in a psychiatric hospital were interviewed by board-certified psychiatrists. MEASUREMENTS: Using two psychometric instruments, the Psychiatric Diagnostic Assessment (PDA) and the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SIPD-R), psychiatric co-morbidity was assessed. FINDINGS: Different life-time rates of coexisting psychiatric disorders among heroin addicts in different settings were found: 83% of hospital subjects and 66% of incarcerated subjects were diagnosed as having at least one coexisting axis I or II disorder. The most prevalent coexisting DSM-III-R defined axis I disorders were additional substance use disorders (alcohol and methamphetamine), while the axis II disorder was antisocial personality disorder. The hospital group had a significantly higher prevalence rate of mood disorder (p < 0.001), paranoid personality disorder (p < 0.05) and antisocial personality disorder (p < 0.001) than the incarcerated group. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that heroin addicts with coexisting psychiatric disorders receive relevant psychiatric treatment. Those with personality disorders, especially the antisocial type, should be considered for specialized therapeutic community programmes instead of incarceration.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphisms and neuroleptic response in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene polymorphisms are associated with various pharmacologic activities. This study investigated whether polymorphisms of 48-bp tandem repeats in the exon 3 of the DRD4 gene are related to neuroleptic response. METHODS: The neuroleptic response at the acute stage of schizophrenia was assessed in 80 (48 men, 32 women) schizophrenic patients. The negative symptoms at remission were also rated. DRD4 genotype was established using the polymerase chain reaction. Patients with genotypes containing an allele with only two repeats (2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6) were assigned to group I (n = 38). Those homozygous for four 48-bp repeats were assigned to group II (n = 42). RESULTS: Thirteen (34.2%) of the 38 group I subjects and 26 (61.9%) of the 42 group II subjects had good neuroleptic response during acute stage treatment (chi 2 6.12, df = 1, p < .02). In remission, the rates of negative symptoms of blunt affect, avolition, and global negative rating were higher in group I than in group II. This was more prominent in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of homozygous four 48-bp repeats in both alleles in exon 3 of the DRD4 gene is associated with good neuroleptic response during acute treatment, and with a lower prevalence of negative symptoms at remission, especially in male schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Psychopathological dimensions in schizophrenia: a correlational approach to items of the SANS and SAPS.

Seventy DSM-III schizophrenic patients were assessed for positive and negative symptoms using Andreasen's scales for the assessment of positive and negative symptoms (SANS and SAPS) on admission. The correlation structure of the items in the SANS and SAPS was explored in dimension and item levels by use of correlation plots through a distinct analytical method displaying the proximity matrix. The results revealed at least three major dimensions of symptoms delineated as Negative Symptoms, Disorganized Thoughts and Delusions and Hallucinations. The latter two dimensions were derived from the SAPS, while Negative Symptoms comprised most of the items in the SANS. Items in Disorganized Thoughts were more correlated to Negative Symptoms than to the other items in the SAPS. 'Loss of ego boundary' delusions and experience of auditory hallucinations appeared as two sub-clusters in the group of Delusions and Hallucinations. The relative independence of persecutory, grandiose, religious, somatic and reference delusions gives support to the concept that paranoid schizophrenia stands as a distinct clinical subtype of schizophrenia. The graphical method introduced here well expresses the information of correlation matrix and is useful for exploring inter-item or inter-cluster associations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Performance of the Continuous Performance Test among community samples.

The Continuous Performance Test (CPT) has been modified to be used widely as a potential vulnerability marker of schizophrenia. In genetic analyses of schizophrenia, well-established norms for the CPT are essential in choosing a suitable threshold of CPT for classifying subjects as affected or unaffected. In this study, we investigated the performance of 115 adolescents and 345 adults, randomly sampled from a community, on two sessions of the CPT 1-9 (undegraded and 25% degraded). The results showed that an older age was associated with a decreasing hit rate and sensitivity (d'), while a higher level of education was associated with an increasing hit rate and d' for both sessions of the CPT. Men had higher hit rates and d' than women for the degraded CPT. A practice effect during the second session of the CPT was noted among 20 to 33 percent of the subjects. Poorer CPT performance was associated with schizotypy measured by the Perceptual Aberration Scale and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Thus, in assessing CPT performance among schizophrenia patients or high-risk populations, we must compare their results to age-, education-, and sex-corresponding norms. The data presented in this report will be valuable in this regard.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Sustained attention deficit and schizotypal personality features in nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated whether nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic probands have an elevated risk of deficits in sustained attention as measured by the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), whether such deficits are associated with specific factors of schizotypy, and whether poor CPT performance by probands predicts poor performance by their relatives. In addition, the heritability of CPT performance in the families of schizophrenic probands was estimated. METHOD: The study subjects were 60 schizophrenic probands, 148 of their first-degree relatives, 20 normal comparison probands, and 42 of the comparison probands' first-degree relatives. Subjects completed undegraded and 25% degraded sessions of the CPT and were interviewed with use of the Chinese version of the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies. Subjects' CPT sensitivity indexes, d', were standardized against those of a community sample of 345 subjects, with adjustment for age, sex, and level of education. RESULTS: On average, the d' values of the relatives of schizophrenic probands were lower than those of the relatives of comparison probands but higher than those of schizophrenic probands. Lower sensitivity indexes among the relatives of schizophrenic patients were associated with the interpersonal dysfunction and disorganization factors of schizotypy but not the cognitive/perceptual factor. When schizophrenic probands were divided into two subgroups by a cutoff of -3.0 for adjusted z score on the CPT, the d' values of relatives of probands with CPT deficits were lower than those of relatives of probands without deficits. The estimated heritability of performance on the CPT ranged from 0.48 to 0.62. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained attention deficit may be a genetic vulnerability marker for schizophrenia, and it may be more useful in linkage analysis than traditional phenotype definitions of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Dopamine D4 receptor variants in Chinese sporadic and familial schizophrenics.

Variation in the number of tandem repeats of a 48 base pair (bp) unit was found in the gene of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4). The number of repetitions of the 48bp unit was shown to influence the binding of clozapine, which suggests that different alleles may function differently in vivo and affect the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Genotypes of DRD4 polymorphism were analyzed for 47 schizophrenic probands who had at least one living sibling with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 35 unaffected siblings of the schizophrenic proband, 42 sporadic schizophrenic patients, and 43 healthy controls without a family history of psychosis. There was no significant difference in genotypic or allelic distributions among the four groups. Significant differences in the frequencies of two- and seven-repeats alleles between the Chinese and Caucasians controls were noted. The present study did not support that a particular allele or genotype of the 48bp-repeat of DRD4 was associated with schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Clinical symptom dimensions and deficits on the Continuous Performance Test in schizophrenia.

We examined the relationships between symptom dimensions derived from factor analytic studies of schizophrenic symptoms and sustained attention deficits. Four factors, negative, delusion/hallucination, disorganization, and excitement, were yielded from factor analysis on 14 items of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) among 60 Chinese inpatients with acute schizophrenia. The negative dimension was associated with lower sensitivity index (d') while the excitement dimension was associated with higher d' on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) after sex, age and education were adjusted for in multiple linear regressions. The positive dimension affected only response criterion (ln beta) and was not associated with the d' on the CPT. In contrast, the summed scores of PANSS Positive and Negative scales did not have significant correlations with d' on the CPT. Thus, the discriminant validity of these symptom dimensions of schizophrenia is supported by their correlations with CPT performance indices.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Further evidence of no association between Ser9Gly polymorphism of dopamine D3 receptor gene and schizophrenia.

Dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) was demonstrated to have important implications in schizophrenia, because it binds antipsychotic drugs and is abundant in the limbic system of the brain. Several groups attempted to find an association between a serine-to-glycine polymorphism at codon 9 of the DRD3 gene (Ser9Gly) and schizophrenia; however, the results were inconsistent. We conducted a case-control association study in Han Chinese schizophrenic patients from Taiwan, to examine the relationship of this serine-to-glycine polymorphism and schizophrenia. We noted no significant differences of genotype distribution, allele frequencies, or homozygosity proportion of this polymorphism between schizophrenic patients (N = 178) and controls (N = 100). When patients were divided according to sex, or presence or absence of family history, the differences were still not significant. Our study does not support the contention that the Ser9Gly polymorphism of the DRD3 gene plays a major role in schizophrenia.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

Concordance of positive and negative symptoms in coaffected sib-pairs with schizophrenia.

Positive and negative symptom (NGS) dimensions were examined for their concordance in 46 coaffected schizophrenic sib-pairs. Results showed that the symptom dimensions of negative symptoms (NGS), delusion-hallucination (DHS), and thought disorganization (TDS) could be formulated. Discrete genetic endowment of these three symptom dimensions was not found as shown by the low concordance in sib pair analysis (kappa = 0.20-0.30). Thirty-seven pairs (80.4%) and 21 pairs (45.7%) had liability, defined by the presence of NGS in any one member of the coaffected sib-pairs, of NGS of "any degree", and of "severe degree" in 46 sib-pairs, respectively. Both groups had high prevalence (59.1-81.0%) of positive symptoms. Another 9 (19.6%) and 25 (54.3%) pairs had no liability of NGS of "any degree" or of "severe degree" out of 46 sib-pairs, respectively. These two groups had high concordance (kappa = 0.45-1.00) of TDS or DHS between coaffected sib-pairs. Based on the results, it is hypothesized that schizophrenia, as defined by DSM-III-R, may consist of two subtypes: one has liability of NGS and a high prevalence of positive symptoms, while the other has only positive symptoms.

Delusions↗
PubMed1997

The cross-national epidemiology of panic disorder.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on panic disorder from community studies from 10 countries around the world are presented to determine the consistency of findings across diverse cultures. METHOD: Data from independently conducted community surveys from 10 countries (the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, France, West Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Taiwan, Korea, and New Zealand), using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and DSM-III criteria and including over 40,000 subjects, were analyzed with appropriate standardization for age and sex differences among subjects from different countries. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence rates for panic disorder ranged from 1.4 per 100 in Edmonton, Alberta, to 2.9 per 100 in Florence, Italy, with the exception of that in Taiwan, 0.4 per 100, where rates for most psychiatric disorders are low. Mean age at first onset was usually in early to middle adulthood. The rates were higher in female than male subjects in all countries. Panic disorder was associated with an increased risk of agoraphobia and major depression in all countries. CONCLUSIONS: Panic disorder is relatively consistent, with a few exceptions, in rates and patterns across different countries. It is unclear why the rates of panic and other psychiatric disorders are lower in Taiwan.

Adolescent↗