Display options
Cite
Naserbakht M, Ahmadkhaniha HR, Mokri B, et al. Advanced paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia in Iranians. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2011;10:15doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-10-15.
Naserbakht, M., Ahmadkhaniha, H. R., Mokri, B., & Smith, C. L. (2011). Advanced paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia in Iranians. Annals of general psychiatry, 1015. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-10-15
Naserbakht, Morteza, et al. "Advanced paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia in Iranians." Annals of general psychiatry vol. 10 (2011): 15. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-10-15
Naserbakht M, Ahmadkhaniha HR, Mokri B, Smith CL. Advanced paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia in Iranians. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Apr 24;10:15. doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-10-15. PMID: 21513574; PMCID: PMC3094249.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Apr 24;10:15. doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-10-15.

Advanced paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia in Iranians.

Annals of general psychiatry

Morteza Naserbakht, Hamid-Reza Ahmadkhaniha, Bahareh Mokri, Cassandra L Smith

Affiliations

  1. Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. [email protected].

PMID: 21513574 PMCID: PMC3094249 DOI: 10.1186/1744-859X-10-15

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Since 1958 many, but not all studies have demonstrated that paternal age is a risk factor for schizophrenia. There may be many different explanations for differences between studies, including study design, sample size, collection criteria, heterogeneity and the confounding effects of environmental factors that can for example perturb epigenetic programming and lead to an increase in disease risk. The small number of children in Western families makes risk comparisons between siblings born at different paternal ages difficult. In contrast, more Eastern families have children both at early and later periods of life. In the present study, a cross-sectional population study in an Iranian population was performed to compare frequency of schizophrenia in younger offspring (that is, older paternal age) versus older offspring.

METHODS: A total of 220 patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia (cases) from both psychiatric hospitals and private clinics and 220 individuals from other hospital wards (controls), matched for sex and age were recruited for this study. Patients with neurological problem, substance abuse, mental retardation and mood disorder were excluded from both groups.

RESULTS: Birth rank comparisons revealed that 35% vs 24% of the cases vs the controls were in the third or upper birth rank (P = 0.01). Also, the mean age of fathers at birth in case group (30 ± 6.26 years) was significantly more than the control group (26.45 ± 5.64 years; P = 0.0001). The age of 76 fathers at birth in case group was over 32 versus 33 fathers in control group. Individuals whose fathers' age was more than 32 (at birth) were at higher risk (2.77 times) for schizophrenia versus others (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 1.80 to 4.27). The maternal age at parturition of the case versus controls groups was 26.1 ± 5.41 vs 25.07 ± 4.47 (P = 0.02). Logistic regression analysis suggests that maternal age is less likely to be involved in the higher risk of schizophrenia than advanced parental age.

DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates a relationship between paternal age and schizophrenia in large families of an Iranian population. Arguments have been put forth that DNA bases changes or epigenetic changes in sperm account for the increased risk associated with older fathers. However, it would not be surprising that both de novo germline mutations and epigenetic changes contribute to disease occurrence because DNA replication and DNA methylation are closely linked at both the macromolecular level (that is, methylation closely follows replication), and at the metabolic level (both processes require folate), and susceptible to modulation by the environment. Further research on samples such as those collected here are needed to sort out the contributions of de novo mutations versus epigenetic changes to schizophrenia.

References

  1. Psychiatry Res. 2007 Mar 30;150(2):205-10 - PubMed
  2. Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Dec 1;150(11):1208-12 - PubMed
  3. BMJ. 2004 Nov 6;329(7474):1070 - PubMed
  4. Novartis Found Symp. 2008;289:196-203; discussion 203-7, 238-40 - PubMed
  5. J Natl Med Assoc. 2006 Jan;98(1):67-72 - PubMed
  6. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2004 May 15;127B(1):51-9 - PubMed
  7. Brain Dev. 2001 Dec;23 Suppl 1:S186-90 - PubMed
  8. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Aug;28(5):753-62 - PubMed
  9. Lancet. 1998 Jul 18;352(9123):204 - PubMed
  10. Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2005;5(3):149-60 - PubMed
  11. Acta Med Iran. 1977;19(2):155-66 - PubMed
  12. Schizophr Res. 1997 Nov 7;28(1):1-38 - PubMed
  13. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Oct;46(10):873-7 - PubMed
  14. Br J Psychiatry. 1988 Apr;152:482-6 - PubMed
  15. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003 Jul;60(7):673-8 - PubMed
  16. Schizophr Bull. 2001;27(3):379-93 - PubMed
  17. Biol Psychiatry. 2004 May 15;55(10):965-70 - PubMed
  18. BMC Psychiatry. 2008 Aug 21;8:71 - PubMed
  19. Schizophr Res. 1999 Nov 9;40(1):43-7 - PubMed
  20. Mol Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;12(6):519, 593-600 - PubMed
  21. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Feb;65(2):146-52 - PubMed
  22. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2000 Jan;1(1):35-41 - PubMed
  23. Am J Med Genet. 2002 Apr 8;114(3):299-303 - PubMed
  24. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Jul;107(7):1113-23 - PubMed
  25. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Sep;159(9):1591-2 - PubMed
  26. Schizophr Res. 2004 Sep 1;70(1):49-56 - PubMed
  27. Schizophr Bull. 2007 Nov;33(6):1270-3 - PubMed
  28. Can J Psychiatry. 2002 Aug;47(6):527-37 - PubMed
  29. Neurosci Res. 2002 Aug;43(4):295-304 - PubMed
  30. Br J Psychiatry. 1979 Feb;134:169-77 - PubMed
  31. Epidemiology. 1999 Nov;10(6):747-51 - PubMed
  32. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2003 Jul 1;120B(1):1-10 - PubMed
  33. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Sep;159(9):1528-33 - PubMed
  34. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2004 Jan 1;124B(1):6-9 - PubMed
  35. Eur Psychiatry. 2007 Jan;22(1):22-6 - PubMed
  36. Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70 - PubMed
  37. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Jan;64(1):14-6 - PubMed
  38. Schizophr Bull. 2003;29(1):169-78 - PubMed
  39. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Oct;46(10):867-72 - PubMed
  40. Am J Prev Med. 2004 Feb;26(2):178-85 - PubMed
  41. Schizophr Res. 2005 Jul 15;76(2-3):337-42 - PubMed
  42. Schizophr Res. 2004 Apr 1;67(2-3):227-36 - PubMed
  43. Br J Psychiatry. 2003 Nov;183:405-8 - PubMed

Publication Types