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In addition to the genes implicated in schizophrenia, a number of environmental risk factors have been implicated in the disease.These include effects during fetal development (famine and maternal infection during pregnancy) as well as during childhood and adulthood. These factors are compiled in this table. Starvation and viral infection activate the eif2alpha kinases gcn2 and pkr, leading to inhibition of the translation initiation factor eif2b, and the arrest of protein synthesis. EIF2B is paricularly important in the control of oligodendrocyte function, and activation of these pathways by some of the risk factors might be related to the oligodendrocyte cell death observed in schizophrenia. Further details
| Risk factor | Reference (and related) |
|
| Maternal Famine | St Clair et al, 2005 | |
| Prenatal Rubella infection (first trimester) | Brown et al, 2000 | |
| Maternal Rubella, Herpes simplex, Influenza | Brown, 2005 Yolken, 2004 | |
| Maternal poliovirus infection during second trimester of pregnancy Wikipedia | Suvisaari et al, 1999 | |
| Elevated maternal IL-8 levels during second trimester | Brown et al, 2004 | |
| Childhood meningitis | Abrahao et al, 2005 | |
| Mumps or cytomegalovirus infection in children (0-12 years) | Dalman et al, 2008 Yolken and Torrey, 2008 | |
| Herpes viral infection (HSV-1) (seropositivity in adults) Wikipedia | Prasad et al, 2007 | |
| Maternal Herpes Infection (HSV-2) | Buka et al, 2007 | |
| Seropositivity to Herpes virus HHV-6: Negative association with HSV-2 and cytomegalovirus and positive asociation with HSV-1 in various subpopulations (Adults) | Niebuhr et al, 2008 | |
| Borna disease virus (seropositivity in adults) | Terayama et al, 2003 | |
| CNS infection during childhood: particularly Coxsackie B5 virus | Rantakallio et al, 1997 | |
| Toxoplasmosis (T.Gondii) seropositivity in adults . Mayoclinic.com Toxoplasmosis information | Torrey et al, 2006 Yolken and Torrey, 2008 | |
| Measles, varicella zoster and polio (Schizophrenia births) | Torrey et al, 1988 | |
| Tick infestation and Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)(Geographical and seasonal correlation) | Fritzsche, 2002 | |
| Chlamydial infection especially C.Psittaci (PCR detection in adults) | Fellerhoff et al, 2007 | |
| Lactate dehydogenase virus (Brain antigen post-mortem) | Dvorakova et al, 1990 | |
| Leptospirosis (Weil's disease): adult infection | Semiz et al, 2005 | |
| Rhesus incompatibility | Hollister et al, 1996 | |
| Winter birth | Bembeneck, 2005 | |
| Cannabis use | Boydell et al, 2006 | |
| Urbanicity | Krabbendam and Van Os, 2005 | |
| Lead exposure | Opler and Susser, 2005 | |
| Pre-eclampsia and obstetric complications | Dalman et al, 1999 | |
| Cat ownership (between ages 1-13) Viral zoonoses | Torrey et al, 2000 | |
| Inverse association with rheumatoid arthritis | Gorwood et al, 2004 Torrey and Yolken 2005 | |
| Childhood Trauma | Morgan and Fisher, 2007 | |
| Autoimmune disease prior to onset: Thyrotoxicosis, celiac disease, acquired hemolytic anemia, interstitial cystitis, and Sjogren's syndrome | Eaton et al, 2006 | |
| Postnatal Vitamin D associated with reduced risk. | McGrath et al, 2004 | |
| Inverse association with Type 1 diabetes Wikipedia | Juvonen at al, 2007 | |
| Comorbidity with Type II diabetes Wikipedia | Bellivier, 2005 | |
| High plasma homocysteine levels | Haidemenos et al, 2007 | |
| Low maternal folate and high homocysteine plasma levels | Picker and Coyle, 2005 | |
| Increased incidence of antibodies reactive to gag encoded proteins of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV), baboon endogenous virus (BaEV) and simian retrovirus type 5 (SRV-5) in sera of first episode adult schizophrenics. | Lillehoj et al, 2000 | |
| EPIGENETIC PHENOMENA Wikipedia | ||
| Hypomethylation of leukocyte DNA in males | Shimabukuro et al, 2006 | |
| Hypermethylation of the Reelin promoter (cortex) | Grayson et al, 2005 | |
| Hypomethylation of membrane bound COMT promoter (Frontal cortex) | Abdolmaleky et al, 2006 | |
Last update: May 8, 2008