Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism in relation to aggressive schizophrenia in a Korean population

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Nov;18(11):820-5. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2008.07.009. Epub 2008 Sep 11.

Abstract

We examined the association between the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and aggressive schizophrenia. The sample included 61 aggressive schizophrenic patients as well as 104 non-aggressive patients from psychiatric hospitals and 415 healthy volunteers in South Korea. In the case-control comparisons, there was no significant association between the aggressive schizophrenic patients and the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. Looking only at the subgroup of aggressive schizophrenic patients, however, we found a dose-dependent relationship between the Met allele and verbal aggression. In this subgroup, the Met carriers showed a higher verbal aggression score than those with the Val/Val homozygote. These findings support the hypothesized moderating role of the COMT gene in the aggressive behaviour in some schizophrenic patients, though they do not support the existence of a direct association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and aggressive schizophrenia case status in the Korean population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aggression / physiology*
  • Alleles
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Korea / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase