The Associations between COMT and MAO-B Genetic Variants with Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Zoran Madžarac
• Author: Lucija Tudor
• Author: Marina Šagud
• Author: Gordana Nedić Erjavec
• Author: Alma Mihaljević Peleš
• Author: Nela Pivac
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Psychiatry

Abstract (english)

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including anhedonia, represent a heavy burden on patients and their relatives. These symptoms are associated with cortical hypodopamynergia and impaired striatal dopamine release in response to reward stimuli. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) degrade dopamine and affect its neurotransmission. The study determined the association between COMT rs4680 and rs4818, MAO-B rs1799836 and rs6651806 polymorphisms, the severity of negative symptoms, and physical and social anhedonia in schizophrenia. Sex-dependent associations were detected in a research sample of 302 patients with schizophrenia. In female patients with schizophrenia, the presence of the G allele or GG genotype of COMT rs4680 and rs4818, as well as GG haplotype rs4818-rs4680, which were all related to higher COMT activity, was associated with an increase in several dimensions of negative symptoms and anhedonia. In male patients with schizophrenia, carriers of the MAO-B rs1799836 A allele, presumably associated with higher MAO-B activity, had a higher severity of alogia, while carriers of the A allele of the MAO-B rs6651806 had a higher severity of negative symptoms. These findings suggest that higher dopamine degradation, associated with COMT and MAO-B genetic variants, is associated with a sex-specific increase in the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients.

• Keywords (english): Adult; Alleles; Catechol O-Methyltransferase / genetics; Female; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Monoamine Oxidase / genetics; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Schizophrenia / diagnosis; Schizophrenia / genetics; Schizophrenic Psychology; Symptom Assessment; Young Adult
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Current Issues in Molecular Biology
• Numbering: vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 618-636
• e-ISSN: 1467-3045
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb43020045
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:238298
• Publication: 2021-07-08
• Document URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/43/2/45
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-06-09 09:10:26