Armagan E, Almacıoglu M L, Yakut T, Köse A, Karkucak M, Köksal O, Görükmez O
Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey.
Genet Mol Res. 2013 Mar 19;12(1):852-8. doi: 10.4238/2013.March.19.1.
Alterations in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity are involved in various types of neurological disorders. We examined a possible association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and conversion disorder in a study of 48 patients with conversion disorder and 48 control patients. In the conversion disorder group, 31 patients were Val/Met heterozygotes, 15 patients were Val/Val homozygotes and 2 patients were Met/Met homozygotes. In the control group, 32 patients were Val/Met heterozygotes and 16 patients were Val/Val homozygotes. There was no significant difference between the groups. We conclude that the COMT Val158Met genotype is quite common in Turkey and that it is not a risk factor for conversion disorder in the Turkish population.
