Bipolar II disorder (BP-II), characterized by recurrent dysregulation of mood, is a serious and chronic psychiatric illness. However, BP-II is commonly under-recognized, even in psychiatric settings. Because dopaminergic disturbance is thought to be involved in the development of bipolar disorder (BPD), it seems essential to investigate dopamine-related genes like the catechol-O-methyltransfera...

We demonstrate that common genetic polymorphisms contribute to the increasing heterogeneity of cognitive functioning in old age. We assess two common Val/Met polymorphisms, one affecting the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme, which degrades dopamine (DA) in prefrontal cortex (PFC), and the other influencing the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein. In two tasks (Wisconsin C...

Catecholamines, namely, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, play important roles in higher animals as neurotransmitters or hormones, and are metabolized by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). To elucidate the role of COMT in blood pressure regulation, we have developed simultaneous determination methods for catecholamines and their 3-O-methyl metabolites using high-performance liquid chr...

Mercury (Hg) is neurotoxic and children may be particularly susceptible to this effect. A current major challenge is identification of children who may be uniquely susceptible to Hg toxicity because of genetic disposition. This study examined the hypothesis that genetic variants of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) that are reported to alter neurobehavioral functions that are also affected by...

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a critical enzyme to detoxify the carcinogenic catechol estrogen and the Val158Met polymorphism of COMT could influence its enzymatic activity. Recent epidemiological studies have investigated the correlation of COMT Val158Met polymorphism with endometrial cancer risk; however, the results are inconsistent. To better evaluate the role of COMT Val158Met in ...

The etiology of preeclampsia is complex, with susceptibility being attributable to multiple environmental factors and a large genetic component. Although many candidate genes for preeclampsia have been suggested and studied, the specific causative genes still remain to be identified. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an enzyme involved in catecholamine and estrogen degradation and has rece...

Low perceived social acceptance is a significant risk factor for emotional difficulties in children. No studies, however, have examined genetic factors that may underlie individual differences in perceived social acceptance. In the present study we examined the relation between polymorphisms on the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met and serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTTLPR) genes...

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is considered as a candidate gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Specifically, the COMT low-activity M158 allele has been suggested to be associated with OCD. However, there is no study reporting that COMT activity is decreased in OCD patients and that the decrease is mediated by the V158M polymorphism. Therefore, the purpose of our study wa...

Catecholestrogens are postulated to contribute to carcinogenesis by causing DNA damage mediated by reactive oxygen species generated during redox cycling between catechol and quinone estrogens, and by quinone estrogens that can form depurinating adducts. The above hypothesis is based principally on studies of the cancers that develop in renal cortex of hamsters treated with primary estrogens: H...

BACKGROUND There is a long-standing debate about the role of beta-adrenoceptor polymorphisms in the cardiovascular system. We wanted to elucidate whether β1-adrenoceptor-polymorphisms affects the postoperative catecholamine consumption and the length of intermediate care unit stay in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and whether this might be enhanced or attenuated by catechol-O-methyl-trans...