Comparison of the Frequency of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) C677T Polymorphism in Depressed Versus Nondepressed Patients

Abstract

Numerous studies have found an association between low serum folate levels and incidence of depression. Folic acid supplementation has been successfully used as an adjunct to treat depression in these patients. However, some individuals have a genetic deficiency in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene that limits conversion of folic acid to its biologically active form, L-methylfolate. Several studies have identified a higher frequency of genetic variations in the MTHFR gene in depressed patients than in nondepressed controls. This study evaluated the frequency of the most common genetic variation MTHFR C667T in a group of depressed U.S. Caucasians and compared results with those of a control group of nondepressed U.S. Caucasians. Subjects were recruited from a psychiatric practice, an ambulatory care clinic, and the community. Informed consent and a cheek swab sample were obtained from each subject for analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Allele and genotype frequencies were compared using Pearson X2 analysis. Complete data were obtained for 156 subjects. No significant differences were found in frequency of the MTHFR C667T T allele (0.415 vs 0.365; p=0.408) or the MTHFR C667T TT genotype (20.7% vs 17.6%; p=0.619) between the depressed and non-depressed controls, respectively. Therefore, use of L-methylfolate without an additional indication of need does not appear to be warranted in this group of U.S. Caucasians. Some patients may benefit from L-methylfolate, but an evidence-based approach, such as MTHFR genotyping, should be used to identify these specific patients. Additional research is also needed to confirm the benefit of L-methylfolate in specific patient populations (e.g., MTHFR TT genotype).