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- Title
Low activity allele of catechol-O-methyltransferase gene associated with rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
- Authors
Kirov, G.; Murphy, K.C.; Arranz, M.J.; Jones, I.; McCandles, F.; Kunugi, H.; Murray, R.M.; McGuffin, P.; Collier, D.A.; Owen, M.J.; Craddock, N.
- Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a major role in the breakdown of catecholamines. An amino acid polymorphism (val-108-met) determines high and low activity of the enzyme. A recent study in a small sample of patients with velo-cardio-facial syndrome who had bipolar affective disorder suggested that the Met (low activity) COMT allele might be associated with rapid-cycling in this population. We therefore tested the hypothesis that the Met allele might be associated with rapid cycling bipolar disorder in the wider population. We studied a sample of British Caucasian DSM-IV bipolar patients, of whom 55 met criteria for rapid cycling at some time during the illness and 110 met stringent criteria for a definite non-rapid cycling course. The COMT genotype was determined using a PCR assay. The low activity allele was more frequent in the group of rapid cyclers: 0.55 vs 0.42 (one-tailed χ² = 5.12, d.f. = 1, P=0.012), and bearers of low activity alleles showed a dose-dependent increased risk of lifetime occurrence of rapid cycling: χ² test of linear association = 4.84, d.f. = 1, P=0.014. Our data support the hypothesis that variation in the COMT gene modifies the course of bipolar disorder.
- Subjects
CATECHOL; METHYLTRANSFERASES; BIPOLAR disorder; ALLELES
- Publication
Molecular Psychiatry, 1998, Vol 3, Issue 4, p342
- ISSN
1359-4184
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/sj.mp.4000385