Korean J Biol Psychiatry.  2016 Nov;23(4):166-172. 10.0000/kjbp.2016.23.4.166.

Association between COMT and 5-HTTLPR Polymorphisms in Korean Patients with Panic Disorder : A Replication Study

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University. Seongnam, Korea. drshlee27@gmail.com

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
We investigated whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and serotonin related gene polymorphisms may be associated with agoraphobia in patients with panic disorder in Korea.
METHODS
The COMT gene (rs4680), 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) gene (rs25531), serotonin receptor 1A (HTR1A) gene (rs6295) genotypes were analyzed in 406 patients with panic disorder and age-sex matched 206 healthy controls. Patients with panic disorder were dichotomized by the presence of agoraphobia. The following instruments were applied : the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Panic Disorder Severity Scale.
RESULTS
There was a significant difference in the distribution of 5-HTTLPR genotype between panic patients with agoraphobia and without agoraphobia (p = 0.024). That is, the panic patients with agoraphobia had a significant excess of the less active 5-HTTLPR allele (S allele). (p = 0.039) Also, we replicated previous western reports which indicated a significant difference in the distribution of COMT genotype between the patients with panic disorder and the healthy controls (p = 0.040). However, no significant associations of agoraphobia or panic disorder with HTR1A gene polymorphisms were found.
CONCLUSIONS
This result supports that the COMT polymorphisms may be associated with panic disorder and suggests that the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of agoraphobia in the Korean patients with panic disorder.

Keyword

Panic disorder; Agoraphobia; Polymorphisms; 5-HTTLPR gene; COMT gene

MeSH Terms

Agoraphobia
Alleles
Anxiety
Catechol O-Methyltransferase
Depression
Genotype
Humans
Korea
Panic Disorder*
Panic*
Serotonin
Catechol O-Methyltransferase
Serotonin
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