Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism and risk of autism spectrum disorders:

ObjectiveAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a family of childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders with complex genetic mechanisms underlying their aetiology. The aim of this case–control study was to evaluate the effect of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism on ASD risk in a Chinese Han population.MethodsThe COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism in children (≤18 years old) with ASD and healthy control subjects.ResultsThe frequency of the Val158/Val158 genotype in children with ASD (22/186; 11.8%) was significantly lower than in controls (38/186; 20.4%). When stratifying by select-item scores on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised protocol, it was found that children with ‘current overactivity’ and ‘ever overactivity’ had a significantly lower frequency of the Val158/Val158 genotype than those without. There were no significant associations between the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism and A...