Association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and propensity to anxiety in an Australian population-based longitudinal study of adolescent health

Abstract

Objectives: Catechol-O-methyltransferase plays a central role in the metabolism of biogenic amines such as norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Functional studies have demonstrated a dose relationship between Val 158Met genotypes and catechol-O-methyltransferase activity. Compared with the Val158Val genotype, the Val158- Met and Met 158Met genotypes result in two- and four-fold reductions in catechol-O-methyltransferase activity, respectively. Two recent reports have observed the association between the Met158Met genotype and risk of anxiety in adult populations. We examined the association between the Val 158Met genotypes and propensity to anxiety across adolescence. Methods: Participant..