Schizophrenia is a complex multifactorial disease, in most cases manifested as a result of the interaction of genetic and psychological factors, as well as certain environmental conditions. However, genetic factors certainly play a determining role in the predisposition to schizophrenia. The coefficient of heritability of schizophrenia is about 80%, which is typical of the most highly inherited multifactorial diseases. This review presents the results of the latest world studies of genetic factors in the development of schizophrenia, including epigenetic, genome-wide association studies, and next generation sequencing.

INTRODUCTION

Schizophrenia is the most severe mental illness affecting about 0.8–۱% of the world’s population. The disease manifests at a young age and leads to disability and social disadaptation. Its etiology is not fully understood. A number of etiological and environmental factors are known that play a role in pathogenesis and the results of therapy. Numerous studies demonstrate a high degree of heritability of schizophrenia, varying in the range of 65–۸۰% [۱], which is characteristic of the most highly inherited multifactorial diseases. Schizophrenia is also considered to be a complex genetic disease characterized by the dysfunction of several neurotransmitter systems such as dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic.