title: Meta-analysis of association between genetic variants in COMT and schizophrenia: an update.
abstract: A common functional polymorphism, Val108/158Met (rs4680), and haplotypes rs737865-rs4680-rs165599 in the Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) have been extensively examined for association to schizophrenia; however, results of replication studies have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the genetic risk of COMT for schizophrenia. First, we performed a mutation scan to detect the existence of potent functional variants in the 5'-flanking and exon regions. Second, we conducted a gene-based case-control study between tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COMT [19 SNPs including six possible functional SNPs (rs2075507, rs737865, rs4680, rs165599, rs165849)] and schizophrenia in large Japanese samples (schizophrenics 1118, controls 1100). Lastly, we carried out a meta-analysis of 5 functional SNPs and haplotypes (rs737865-rs4680-rs165599). No novel functional variant was detected in the mutation scan. There is no association between these tagging SNPs in COMT and Japanese schizophrenia. In this updated meta-analysis, no evidence was found for an association between Val108/158Met polymorphisms, rs6267, rs165599, and haplotypes (rs7378655-rs4680-rs165599) and schizophrenia, although rs2075507 and rs737865 showed trends for significance in allele-wise analyses (P=0.039 in a multiplicative model, P=0.025 in a recessive model for rs2075507, P=0.018 in a dominant model for rs737865, uncorrected). This significance did not remain, however, after correcting the P-values using a false discovery rate controlling procedure. Our results suggest that the COMT is unlikely to contribute to susceptibility to schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okochi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamanouchi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Nakao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwata