Lack of linkage between the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene and bipolar affective disorder

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a key role in the regulation of the stress response. Abnormalities in CRH secretion have been documented in both the depression and manic phases of bipolar disorder (BPD). In the present study, we investigated genetic linkage between the CRH gene and BPD in 22 pedigrees. A highly informative, short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphism adjacent to the CRH gene on human chromosomal region 8q13 was used to examine linkage. Affected sibling pair (ASP) and the likelihood-based disequilibrium tests revealed nonsignificant values. We conclude that the CRH gene is not linked to BPD; if genes involved in the regulation of stress response are indeed linked to BPD, the search should be directed towards those that regulate CRH secretion or its effects on target tissues.