title: The COMT rs4680 polymorphism and suicide attempt in rural Shandong, China.
abstract: Suicide attempt is a major public health problem and are associated with genetic factors. This paired case-control study examined the association between the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism and suicide attempts.
  
  
  
  A case-control study of 369 (117 men, 31.7%; mean age=44.1±13.3 years) suicide attempters and an equal number of controls without a lifetime history of suicide attempt matched on sex, age, and residence was carried out in rural Shandong, Eastern China. Demographics and psychiatric history were obtained through face-to-face interviews. Blood samples were collected during interviews and the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism was analyzed using the ligation detection reaction method.
  
  
  
  The G/G genotype was significantly more prevalent in female suicide attempters than their matched controls. Conditional logistic regression showed that the G/G genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts only for women (odds ratio=2.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-4.2).
  
  
  
  The findings support an association between the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism and suicide attempts only in women. Further research with larger samples is needed to explore the interactions of the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism and sex and psychiatric disorders on suicide attempts.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Epidemiology, Shandong University School of Public Health and Shandong University Center for Suicide Prevention Research bShandong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention cShandong Provincial Center for Mental Health, Jinan dQingdao Endocrine and Diabetes Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China eUniversity of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Shi-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ji-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xianchen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cun-Xian
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: C588010:COMT protein, human; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase