title: Association between Novelty Seeking of opiate-dependent patients and the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val(158)Met polymorphism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Candidate genes of the dopaminergic system have been reported as key elements in shaping human temperament. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a vital role in dopamine inactivation, and the Val(158)Met single nucleotide polymorphism (rs4680) in its gene has been recently associated with the Novelty Seeking (NS) temperament scale of the Temperament and Character Inventory in studies of healthy adults, as well as methamphetamine abusers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our goal was to examine the association between temperament dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory and the COMT Val(158)Met variation in a Hungarian sample of 117 heroin-dependent patients and 124 nondependent controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Case-control analysis did not show any significant difference in allele or genotype distributions. However, dimensional approach revealed an association between the COMT Val(158)Met and NS (P = .01): both controls and opiate users with Met/Met genotypes showed higher NS scores compared to those with the Val allele. The NS scores are also significantly higher among opiate users; however, no interaction was found between group status and COMT genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Association of the COMT polymorphism and NS temperament scale has been shown for heroin-dependent patients and controls regardless of group status.
authors: Institutional Group on Addiction Research, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1064, Hungary.
authors: Zsolt
authors: Z
authors: Demetrovics
authors: Gabor
authors: G
authors: Varga
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Szekely
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Vereczkei
authors: Jozsef
authors: J
authors: Csorba
authors: Hedvig
authors: H
authors: Balazs
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Hoffman
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Sasvari-Szekely
authors: Csaba
authors: C
authors: Barta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013694:Temperament; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase