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No association between bipolar disorder and alleles at a functional polymorphism in the COMT gene

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Nick Craddock ,
Gillian Spurlock ,
Peter Mcguffin ,
Michael J. Owen ,
Marika Nosten-Bertrand ,
Frank Bellivier ,
Rolando Meloni ,
Marion Leboyer ,
Jacques Mallet  and
Lesley Mynett-Johnson
...Show all authors
Nick Craddock*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
Gillian Spurlock
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
Peter Mcguffin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
Michael J. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
Marika Nosten-Bertrand
Affiliation:
Hospital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
Frank Bellivier
Affiliation:
Hospital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
Rolando Meloni
Affiliation:
Hospital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
Marion Leboyer
Affiliation:
Hospital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
Jacques Mallet
Affiliation:
Hospital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
Lesley Mynett-Johnson
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Valerie Murphy
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Patrick Mckeon
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
George Kirov
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
John Powell
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
Hiroshi Kunugi
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
David Collier
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
Monica Larosa
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Universita Deli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
Benedetta Nacmias
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Universita Deli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
Sandro Sorbi
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Universita Deli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
Sibylle Schwab
Affiliation:
Neverenklinik, Universitat Munchen, Germany
Manfred Ackenheil
Affiliation:
Neverenklinik, Universitat Munchen, Germany
Wolfgang Maier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany
*
Dr Nick Craddock, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN, UK, Fax: 01222 747839; e-mail: craddock@cardiff.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background

There is compelling evidence for the existence of susceptibility genes for bipolar disorder. Association studies using functional DNA variations are an important approach for identifying these genes. The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a key role in the degradation of catecholamine neurotransmitters and is a candidate for involvement in bipolar disorder. Recently a common functional genetic polymorphism that underlies population variation in COM Tactivity has been elucidated and a simple assay developed.

Method

In a collaboration involving seven European centres, we have undertaken an association study of this functional polymorphism in 412 unrelated West European caucasian DSM - III-R bipolar patients and 368 ethnically matched controls.

Results

We found no evidence of allelic or genotypic association.

Conclusions

We can conclude that variation at this functional polymorphism does not make an important contribution to bipolar disorder in the Western European population. Future studies using this powerful experimental approach can be expected to contribute to identification of bipolar susceptibility genes.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 170 , Issue 6 , June 1997 , pp. 526 - 528
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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