title: No association between catechol-o-methyltransferase Val108/158Met polymorphism and schizophrenia or its clinical symptomatology in a Mexican population.
abstract: The gene coding for catecol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), participant in the metabolism of catecholamines, has long been implicated as a candidate gene for schizophrenia. We determined the relation of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism with schizophrenia or its symptomatology (negative, disorganized and psychotic dimension). We conducted a case-control study comprising 186 patients with schizophrenia and 247 controls. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was established using the DSM-IV criteria for this illness. The clinical symptomatology was assessed through the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. No significant differences were found in the distribution of alleles (χ2 = 0.01, df = 1, p = 0.90) or genotypes (χ2 = 1.66, df = 2, p = 0.43) between schizophrenic patients and the control group. Multivariate analysis showed that the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism has no influence in the clinical symptomatology of schizophrenia. Our results showed no association between COMT Val108/158Met and schizophrenia or evidence for an association between COMT and the clinical symptomatology of this illness. This suggests that the COMT gene may not contribute to the risk for schizophrenia among the Mexican population.
authors.affiliation: División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Ranchería Sur, Cuarta Sección, C.P. 86650, Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico. alfonso_tovillaz@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tovilla-Zárate
authors.forename: Beatriz Camarena
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Medellín
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fresán
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López-Narváez
authors.forename: Thelma Beatriz Gonzalez
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Isela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Juárez Rojop
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Bello
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genis
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nicolini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase