J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2001 Nov;40(6):1214-1222.

A Pilot Study for Genetic Polymorphism of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) in Panic Disorder

• Jang YL
• Yun KS
• Woo JM
• Lee YS
• Na C
• Yu BH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Catecholamine metabolism has been thought to be related to the pathophysiology of panic disorder. There are two human COMT alleles, coding for a low activity enzyme, COMT L(L), and a high activity enzyme, COMT H(H), respectively. We examined the distribution of COMT genotypes and the relationship between COMT genetic polymorphism and some clinical characteristics in patients with panic disorder. METHOD: We recruited 51 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder, and 45 normal control subjects who had neither medical nor psychiatric illnesses. Genetic polymorphism of COMT was identified in all subjects using PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) analysis. We assessed some clinical variables including treatment responses in panic patients and measured anxiety and depression levels in normal control subjects using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULT: The frequency of the homozygous LL genotype was higher in panic patients than that in control subjects (19.6% vs. 2.2%). We found that panic disorder was significantly associated with L allele (x2=8.66, p=0.003) and LL genotype(x2=8.45, p=0.015). Panic patients with LL genotype showed poorer treatment response than those with other genotypes (F=4.98, p=0.011).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that LL genotype of the COMT gene may be related to the pathophysiology and clinical courses in some patients with panic disorder.

Keyword

Catechol-O-methyltransferase; Genetic polymorphism; Panic disorder

MeSH Terms

Alleles
Anxiety
Catechol O-Methyltransferase*
Clinical Coding
Depression
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Genotype
Humans
Metabolism
Panic Disorder*
Panic*
Pilot Projects*
Polymorphism, Genetic*
Catechol O-Methyltransferase