title: Association between the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Val¹⁵⁸Met Polymorphism and Alexithymia in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alexithymia, defined as a deficit in the ability to recognize and describe one's own feelings, may be related to the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism and alexithymia in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 244 patients with OCD (169 males, 75 females). Alexithymia was assessed using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and genotyping of the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with the COMT Val/Val genotype had significantly higher total and "difficulty identifying feelings" (DIF) subdimension scores than those with the Val/Met or Met/Met genotypes. Patients with the COMT Val/Val genotype had significantly higher "difficulty describing feelings" (DDF) subdimension scores than those with the COMT Val/Met genotype. However, there were no differences in the scores for the "externally oriented thinking" (EOT) subdimension among the three genotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that the high-activity Val allele of the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism is associated with increased alexithymic traits in patients with OCD. The present finding suggests that alexithymia is an endophenotype of OCD that is mediated by the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.|Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee In
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Namkoong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Psychiatry, Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kimsejoo@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Se Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D000483:Alleles; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D056910:Republic of Korea
chemical_list: D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase
keywords: Alexithymia; COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism; Toronto alexithymia scale; endophenotype; obsessive-compulsive disorder