However, the underlying molecular mechanism of sex differences for the heterogeneous features of schizophrenia remains unclear.Ĭatechol- O-methyl transferase ( COMT) encodes a major catabolic enzyme involved in dopamine (DA) metabolism and has been widely studied in patients with schizophrenia. Studies show male schizophrenic patients have more serious cognitive deficits than females on multiple cognitive tasks, such as working memory, problem-solving, and verbal and visual learning ( 5, 6). Cognitive deficits are associated with poor functional outcomes and unfavorable prognosis. Male patients show an earlier age at onset, and more negative symptoms, while female patients display more affective, paranoid, and periodic psychiatric symptoms ( 4). Clinical evidence shows that men and women are different in prevalence, age of onset, symptomatology, treatment outcome, and neurological abnormalities ( 2– 4). Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder, characterized by heterogeneous positive and negative symptoms (such as hallucinations, delusions, and reduced expression of emotions or motivation), and cognitive dysfunction (such as difficulties with concentration, working memory, and decision making) ( 1). COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism inconsistently mediated the relationship between sex and cognitive performance in schizophrenia patients.Ĭonclusion: These findings suggest that COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism is associated with the risk and severity of schizophrenia in a sexually dimorphic way and contributes more to the clinical symptoms and cognitive impairment in male patients with schizophrenia. Results: We find that male patients had a significantly higher proportion of carrying the Val allele and Val/Val carriers exhibited more severe positive symptoms and cognitive impairment than Met carriers. The psychopathological symptoms of the patients were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The cognitive performance was assessed by Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and the COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism is genotyped. Materials and methods: We recruited 367 in patients with chronic schizophrenia (246 males and 121 females) and 419 healthy controls (172 males and 247 females). Thus, this study aims to explore whether there is an effect of the interaction between COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism and sex on patients’ clinical characteristics and cognitive function. Recent studies show that the influence of COMT Val158Met (rs4680) variation is sexually dimorphic. However, the underlying genetic reasons remain unelucidated. Sex differences have been reported in various aspects of the disease. Objective: Schizophrenia is a multifaceted mental disorder characterized by heterogeneous positive/negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. 4Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.3Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.2Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.1CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.Hang Xu 1, Yongjie Zhou 2, Meihong Xiu 3, Dachun Chen 3, Weiwen Wang 1,4, Li Wang 1,4 and Xiangyang Zhang 1,4*
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