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Published on: September 6, 2024
Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism and risk of autism spectrum disorders
Tianyou Guo1, Weiqian Wang, Bing Liu
1Department of Psychology, Normal College, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
Objective:
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a family of childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders with complex genetic mechanisms underlying their aetiology. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the effect of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism on ASD risk in a Chinese Han population.
Methods:
The COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in children (≤ 18 years old) with ASD and healthy control subjects.
Results:
The frequency of the Val158/Val158 genotype in children with ASD (22/186; 11.8%) was significantly lower than in controls (38/186; 20.4%). When stratifying by select-item scores on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised protocol, it was found that children with 'current overactivity' and 'ever overactivity' had a significantly lower frequency of the Val158/Val158 genotype than those without. There were no significant associations between the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism and ASD subtypes.
Conclusions:
The COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism may be a biomarker for phenotypic variation in ASD, but these preliminary findings remain tentative, pending replication in larger, independent samples.
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