The decrease of erythrocyte catechol‐O‐methyltransferase activity in depressed patients and its diagnostic significance

Abstract

Erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity was measured in normal and depressed populations before specific medication. In the groups of patients, anxiety and depression scores were evaluated by the AMDP rating scale. The authors found lower enzyme activity in patients with major depression, recurrent and bipolar disorder, depressed, but no change was found in dysthymic disorder when compared to control values. However, there was no relationship between COMT activity and age, anxiety and depression scores of patients. Furthermore, the subdivision into two subpopulations, one with normal COMT activity and another with lower COMT activity, did not make it possible to assign a role to the enzyme in the severity of depression. The enzyme could, however, be considered as a genetic marker of depressive vulnerability.

Association of TMEM132D, COMT, and GABRA6 genotypes with cingulate, frontal cortex and hippocampal emotional processing in panic and major depressive disorder

“…Biochemical studies have shown different enzyme activities in patients with major depression compared with nondepressed subjects (Karege et al 1987). Th e COMT Val158Met (G324A) polymorphism has been associated with MDD (Massat et al 2005) and the higher activity of the COMT 158Val/Val genotype and a poorer response to antidepressant treatment may be related (Baune et al 2008).…”

Human catechol-O-methyltransferase: cloning and expression of the membrane-associated form.

“…Data from segregation analysis provided evidence for the control of COMT activity by a major autosomal locus with two alleles (9). Variations in COMT activity are found in patients with major depression, recurrent and bipolar disorders (10), as well as in children with Down syndrome (11). Differences in the enzymatic activity in human individuals may be involved in the pathogenesis of various psychiatric and neurological diseases (12).…”

Effects of Plasticisers and Related Compounds on the Expression of the Soluble Form of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase in MCF-7 Cells

“…for 15min. The supernatant was retained for COMT activity assay [13]. Briefly, the supernatant (70μg total protein lysate in 300μl) was incubated with Tris-HCl buffer (80mM, pH 7.5), MgCl 2 (1mM), DBA (1mM), and SAM-14 C (0.1mM, 0.05μCi) for 90min at 37 °C in a final volume of 1ml.…”