title: [Difference in brain surface area between first-episode familial and sporadic schizophrenia and its association with COMT gene polymorphisms].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association of impairment of surface area of first-episode schizophrenia(SZ) with polymorphisms of COMT gene, and the difference in the impaired patterns between familial patients with schizophrenia(FPS) and sporadic patients with schizophrenia(SPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight patients with first-episode SZ(FPS=40, SPS=58) and 78 healthy controls were recruited. COMT gene was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Participants were scanned for 3.0T magnetic resonance images. Freesurfer software was used to analyze the difference in brain surface area between SZ and controls, its association with COMT genotypes, and the difference between SPS, FPS and control groups. Multiple tests were corrected using a Monte Carlo simulation at P<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with controls, SZ showed decreased surface area in right occipital cortex and left prefrontal cortex. No association was found between COMT polymorphisms and whole brain area difference. Among the three subgroups, SPS showed smaller left prefrontal area compared with both FPS and control groups. Patients with SPS also showed significant area reduction in right occipital lobe compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surface area impairment can be found in those with first-episode SZ, but without association with COMT gene polymorphisms. The SPS have more severe area impairment than FPS, indicating that SPS and FPS may be attributed to different etiological mechanisms.
authors: Psychiatric Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, The Mental Health Center and National Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China. xuntao26@hotmail.com.
authors: Yinfei
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Deng
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Mingli
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Lei
authors: Zhe
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Xiaohong
authors: X
authors: Ma
authors: Xiehe
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011859:Radiography; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase