Additional evidence that genetic variation of MAO-A gene supports a gender subtype in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Studies have recently reported a sexually dimorphic association between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and a polymorphism related with variations in MAO-A activity. These observations suggest the possibility of gender differences in genetic susceptibility for OCD. We thus reexamined the MAO-A/EcoRV polymorphism in a sample of 122 OCD patients and 124 healthy subjects. An excess of allele 1 in OCD females with major depression disorder was confirmed as previously reported. This difference was more strongly associated with OCD females than males in the total sample. Finally, we analyzed a sample of 51 OCD trios. Haplotype-based haplotype relative risk (HHRR) analysis of the inheritance of the MAO-A variants revealed in the female probands that 14 out of 19 transmitted the allele 1, providing significant evidence for an allelic association between OCD and MAO-A gene. In conclusion, our findings may provide molecular evidence to identify a clinically meaningful gender subtype. However, an effort should be made to replicate the analysis in larger samples of informative parents using strategies such as transmission disequilibrium test to allow definite conclusions.