title: Aggressive behaviour in patients with schizophrenia is associated with catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence exists for an association between aggression and schizophrenia. Although the aetiology of aggression is multifactorial, three studies have reported associations between polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and aggression in schizophrenia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To replicate these findings in a larger sample using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 180 people with DSM-IV schizophrenia were rated for aggression using the OAS. Kruskal-Wallis and contingency table analyses were applied to the OAS results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high-activity homozygotes showed significantly higher scores of aggression, whereas the heterozygotes showed significantly lower scores. The odds ratio for aggression for the high-activity homozygotes was 2.07 (95% Cl=1.03-4.15), whereas that for the heterozygotes was 0.54 (95% Cl=0.30-1.00). CONCLUSIONS; The high-activity COMT homozygote confers a higher risk of recorded aggression in schizophrenia. Heterozygotes had a significantly lower risk, which may represent an example of heterosis/heterozygote advantage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zammit
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hamshere
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milham
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cardno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase