COMT (Val158Met) and BDNF (Val66Met) Genes Polymorphism in Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Report

The effects of human brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) Val66Met (G>A) and the human Catechol-O-methylTransferase (COMT) Val158Met (G>A) polymorphisms on Schizophrenia (SCZ) risk were evaluated.
This case control study included 92 SCZ patients and 92 healthy controls (HCs). Genotyping of both variants were conducted using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR).
The findings showed that BDNF Val66Met (G>A) variant increased the risk of SCZ (OR=2.008 95%CI=1.008-4.00, P=0.047, GA vs. GG, OR=3.876 95%CI=1.001-14.925, P=0.049. AA vs. GG, OR=2.272. 95%CI=1.204-4.347, P=0.011, GA vs. GG, OR=2.22 95%CI=1.29-3.82. P=0.005, A vs. G). COMT Val158Met (G>A) polymorphism was not associated with the risk/protective of SCZ.
The results proposed that BDNF Val66Met (G>A) polymorphism may increase the risk of SCZ development and did not support an association between COMT Val158Met (G>A) variant and risk/protective of SCZ. Further studies and different ethnicities are recommended to confirm the findings.