title: Plasma homocysteine and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T gene variant: lack of association with schizophrenia.
abstract: Disturbances in methyl-carbon metabolism, which result in hyperhomocysteinemia, have been associated with schizophrenia. Homozygosity for the T677 allele of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, which encodes for a thermolabile enzyme associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, has been found to be increased in schizophrenic patients. We have investigated whether plasma homocysteine concentration and the frequency of C677T MTHFR variant were increased in schizophrenic inpatients of a psychiatric hospital (n=210) compared with controls (n=218). There were no significant differences in plasma homocysteine concentrations between the schizophrenia and the control group. The distributions of T allele and TT genotype frequencies were similar in both groups (40% and 15%). These results show that impaired homocysteine metabolism is unlikely in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Psiquiàtric Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra. de l'institut Pere Mata, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Virgos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martorell
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simó
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Figuera
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joven
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labad
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vilella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D008875:Middle Aged; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)