title: Association study of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism with personality traits in Japanese healthy volunteers.
abstract: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the major enzymes for the degradation of catecholamines. It has been suggested that catecholaminergic neurotransmission is involved in characterization of personality. Previous studies on the association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and personality traits in healthy subjects have produced inconsistent results. Therefore, the relationship between this polymorphism and personality was re-examined in 478 Japanese healthy volunteers. Personality traits were assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the COMT genotypes were determined by a PCR-RFLP method. In total, there were no significant differences among the Val/Val, Val/Met, and Met/Met genotypes in seven TCI dimension scores. Similarly, no significant relationship was found between the COMT genotypes and the TCI dimensions when males and females were analyzed separately. The present study thus suggests that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism is not associated with personality traits in Japanese healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata-city, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan.
authors.forename: Genki
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshino
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D002605:Character; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase