Catechol- O-methyltransferase gene and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia: Preliminary results

Abstract

The catechol- O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia because of its role in the breakdown of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. The COMT gene contains a functional polymorphism changing enzyme activity that has been associated with some neuropsychiatric (endo)phenotypes, e.g. cognitive performance and anxiety. In this study we investigated the association between the COMT Val 158Met polymorphism and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Severity of obsessive–compulsive symptoms in 77 male patients with recent-onset schizophrenia was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and the COMT Val 158Met polymorphism was genotyped for these patients. We found a significant effect of the COMT genotype on Y-BOCS scores: the Val/Val genotype was associated with the highest Y-BOCS scores, whereas patients with the Met/Met genotype had the lowest Y-BOCS scores. Our data suggest that the COMT high-activity Val allele is associated with more obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young patients with schizophrenia. These results support the hypothesis that the COMT Val 158Met polymorphism may be a modifier gene for the symptomatology of schizophrenia.