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Association of anorexia nervosa with the high activity allele of the COMT gene: a family-based study in Israeli patients

Molecular Psychiatry volume 6, pages 243–245 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a common, severe and disabling psychiatric disorder, characterized by profound weight loss and body image disturbance.1 Family and twin studies indicate a significant genetic contribution2,3 and pharmacological data suggest possible dysfunction of the serotonergic4,5 and dopaminergic6–9pathways. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a candidate gene for mediating susceptibility to AN since it is involved in the dopamine catabolism10 and because its functional polymorphism (Val/Met 158) determines high (H) and low (L) enzymatic activity alleles.11 Fifty-one Israeli AN patients and their parents were genotyped with the COMT polymorphism. Using the haplotype relative risk (HRR) method it was found that the frequency of the H allele among alleles transmitted to AN patients from their parents was significantly higher than in those not transmitted (68% vs 51% χ2 = 5.20, df = 1, P = 0.023, odds ratio: 2.01). Transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) revealed that out of 49 heterozygote parents the H allele was transmitted to AN patients 33 times while the L allele was transmitted only 16 (McNemar's χ2 = 5.90, df = 1, P = 0.015). Our study suggests that the COMT gene is associated with genetic susceptibility to AN, and that individuals homozygous for the high activity allele (HH) have a two-fold increased risk for development of the disorder.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants (42-97) from the National Institute for Psychobiology in Israel and (610-212.02) from the German–Israeli Foundation for scientific research and development (GIF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petah Tikva, 49 100, Israel

    A Frisch, E Michaelovsky & A Weizman

  2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    A Frisch, N Laufer, Y Danziger, E Michaelovsky, D Stein, M Mimouni, A Apter & A Weizman

  3. Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Petah Tikva, 49 100, Israel

    N Laufer & A Weizman

  4. Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, 49 100, Israel

    Y Danziger, S Leor, C Carel, S Fenig, M Mimouni & A Apter

  5. Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

    D Stein

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  1. A Frisch
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  2. N Laufer
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  3. Y Danziger
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  10. A Apter
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  11. A Weizman
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Correspondence to A Frisch.

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Frisch, A., Laufer, N., Danziger, Y. et al. Association of anorexia nervosa with the high activity allele of the COMT gene: a family-based study in Israeli patients. Mol Psychiatry 6, 243–245 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000830

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