Institutional Group on Addiction Research, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1064, Hungary.
Compr Psychiatry. 2010 Sep-Oct;51(5):510-5. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2009.11.008. Epub 2010 Jan 8.
Candidate genes of the dopaminergic system have been reported as key elements in shaping human temperament. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a vital role in dopamine inactivation, and the Val(158)Met single nucleotide polymorphism (rs4680) in its gene has been recently associated with the Novelty Seeking (NS) temperament scale of the Temperament and Character Inventory in studies of healthy adults, as well as methamphetamine abusers.
Our goal was to examine the association between temperament dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory and the COMT Val(158)Met variation in a Hungarian sample of 117 heroin-dependent patients and 124 nondependent controls.
Case-control analysis did not show any significant difference in allele or genotype distributions. However, dimensional approach revealed an association between the COMT Val(158)Met and NS (P = .01): both controls and opiate users with Met/Met genotypes showed higher NS scores compared to those with the Val allele. The NS scores are also significantly higher among opiate users; however, no interaction was found between group status and COMT genotype.
Association of the COMT polymorphism and NS temperament scale has been shown for heroin-dependent patients and controls regardless of group status.
多巴胺能系统的候选基因被认为是塑造人类气质的关键因素。儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）在多巴胺失活中起着至关重要的作用，其基因中的 Val（158）Met 单核苷酸多态性（rs4680）最近与健康成年人的气质和性格特征量表中的新奇寻求（NS）气质量表以及甲基苯丙胺滥用有关。
我们的目标是在 117 名海洛因依赖患者和 124 名非依赖对照组的匈牙利样本中检查气质和性格特征量表的气质维度与 COMT Val（158）Met 变异之间的关联。
病例对照分析显示等位基因或基因型分布没有显着差异。然而，维度分析显示 COMT Val（158）Met 与 NS 之间存在关联（P =.01）：与携带 Val 等位基因的人相比，携带 Met/Met 基因型的对照组和阿片类药物使用者的 NS 评分更高。阿片类药物使用者的 NS 评分也显着更高；然而，在组状态和 COMT 基因型之间没有发现相互作用。
无论组状态如何，COMT 多态性与 NS 气质量表之间的关联已在海洛因依赖患者和对照组中得到证明。
