title: Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia: preliminary results.
abstract: The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia because of its role in the breakdown of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. The COMT gene contains a functional polymorphism changing enzyme activity that has been associated with some neuropsychiatric (endo)phenotypes, e.g. cognitive performance and anxiety. In this study we investigated the association between the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in 77 male patients with recent-onset schizophrenia was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism was genotyped for these patients. We found a significant effect of the COMT genotype on Y-BOCS scores: the Val/Val genotype was associated with the highest Y-BOCS scores, whereas patients with the Met/Met genotype had the lowest Y-BOCS scores. Our data suggest that the COMT high-activity Val allele is associated with more obsessive-compulsive symptoms in young patients with schizophrenia. These results support the hypothesis that the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism may be a modifier gene for the symptomatology of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.r.zinkstok@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Janneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zinkstok
authors.forename: Lonneke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Nimwegen
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Amelsvoort
authors.forename: Lieuwe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: Maryan Abdulkadir
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yusuf
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linszen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D004298:Dopamine