title: No association between schizophrenia and polymorphisms in COMT in two large samples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A valine/methionine polymorphism in the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been proposed to influence susceptibility to schizophrenia, as has a COMT haplotype in Ashkenazi Jewish and Irish subjects. The authors examined these hypotheses.
  
  
  METHODS
  They reviewed data from more than 2,800 individuals, including almost 1,200 with schizophrenia, from case-control and family-based European association samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found no support for the hypothesis that a valine/methionine polymorphism in the COMT gene influences susceptibility to schizophrenia or the hypothesis that a COMT haplotype influences susceptibility to schizophrenia in Ashkenazi Jewish and Irish subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that the valine allele of COMT does not increase susceptibility to schizophrenia in Europeans and that the Ashkenazi or Irish haplotype does not increase susceptibility. Ethnic variation in the linkage disequilibrium structure at COMT means that the haplotype data may not generalize across populations. However, the authors' examination of the hypothesis that the valine allele confers susceptibility, with a particularly strong effect in Europeans, reveals that no such caveat applies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK.
authors.forename: Hywel J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Nigel M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zammit
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacGregor
authors.forename: George K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Kirov
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine