Transporter associated with antigen processing and the chaperone tapasin: are non-classical HLA genes keys to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a mind-destructive disease. Family and twin studies have indicated an equal contribution of genetic endowment and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Recently Chlamydiaceae species has been identified as a major factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, suggesting defective immune responses of schizophrenic patients against this environmental factor. Immune responses against Chlamydiaceae species are controlled by immunogenetic factors. Successful responses against microbes depend on the presentation of immunogenic peptides by HLA molecules, which are encoded by a highly polymorphic gene system. Until now several HLA alleles or HLA antigens have been found associated with schizophrenia by some researchers but not by others. This could be explained by failing immune responses against different microbes or different immune responses against the same microbe. Another explanation, not contradictory rather supplementary, is the participation of non-classical HLA genes in the immune response and thus in the disease development. Variants of these genes, i.e. alleles, which control transportation and loading of microbial peptides onto HLA molecules, could prevent clearing of immune cell infection by selection of non-immunogenic peptides for HLA presentation. To generate support for our hypothesis we determined in a small group of schizophrenic patients and control individuals allele frequencies of the transporter proteins TAP1/TAP2, which select the immunoproteasome-tailored peptides for transportation. We determined also frequencies of TAPASIN alleles, which encode chaperons and also may select peptides for loading on MHC molecules. Our pilot study included 20 patients and 162 control individuals. We found significant associations between schizophrenia and TAP1 allele frequencies (P=9.95x10(-3), chi(2)=12.36) as well as TAPASIN allele frequencies (P=2.8x10(-2), chi(2)=5.3). This suggests that variants of these two genetic systems could influence the disease process of schizophrenia. Furthermore, these genes belong to the family of ABC transporter proteins and may also influence the efficiency of drugs and thus of therapeutic modalities. Our investigations require certainly larger patient panels to prove our hypothesis and our results to be correct.

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