Hermes Sandra, Hennig Jürgen, Stingl Markus, Leichsenring Falk, Leweke Frank
Klinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Friedrichstraße 28, 35392 Gießen.
Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2011;57(1):51-61. doi: 10.13109/zptm.2011.57.1.51.
Reduced concentrations of dopamine in prefrontal brain structures may play a role in alexithymia. Dopamine degradation in the orbitofrontal cortex is regulated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and a functional single nucleotide polymorphism of the COMT gene, Val158Met, has been related to psychiatric illness. This study examines the association between the COMT Val158Met gene polymorphism, and alexithymia.
120 healthy students and 120 patients with mental disorders were genotyped for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. Additionally, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was administered.
COMT genotype did not show a significant correlation with the TAS-20 in either group.
COMT Val158Met polymorphism alone does not seem to be a major factor in alexithymia in healthy students. This is true even if patients with mental disorders covering a broader range of alexithymia are included. Thus, other genes, possibly interacting with cultural, environmental, and developmental factors, may be implicated.
前额叶脑结构中多巴胺浓度降低可能在述情障碍中起作用。眶额皮质中的多巴胺降解受儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）调节，并且COMT基因的一个功能性单核苷酸多态性Val158Met与精神疾病有关。本研究考察COMT Val158Met基因多态性与述情障碍之间的关联。
对120名健康学生和120名精神障碍患者进行COMT Val158Met多态性基因分型。此外，使用多伦多述情障碍量表（TAS-20）进行评估。
两组中COMT基因型与TAS-20均未显示出显著相关性。
单独的COMT Val158Met多态性似乎不是健康学生述情障碍的主要因素。即便纳入了述情障碍范围更广的精神障碍患者，情况依然如此。因此，可能与文化、环境和发育因素相互作用的其他基因或许也有影响。
