COMT 유전자 다형성이 도박중독 환자의 중증도 및 사회성에 미치는 영향

The Role of COMT Gene Val158Met Polymorphism on the Severity and Sociality in Gambling Disorder

Objectives ： The Val158Met polymorphism of Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is known for its role in various mental disorders. Because the COMT polymorphism influences the activity of COMT enzyme which is involved in the degradation of dopamine, its influence in addictive disorder has been paid attention. We investigated the role of COMT polymorphism in gambling disorder. Methods ： A total of 55 male participants (aged : 38.3±11.5 years) diagnosed to gambling disorder with DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder were recruited for this study. Six symptom scales such as Beck depression inventory (BDI), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), Barrett impulsiveness scale (BIS), Lubben social network scale (LSNS), Wender Utah rating scale (WURS), and Gambling symptom assessment scale (GSAS) were used. Results ： There are 7 for LL (MetMet) gen-otype, 26 for HL (ValMet) genotype, and 22 for HH (ValVal) genotype. The significant differences between genotypes were found in the scores of LSNS, WURS, and GSAS. The lower ac-tivity LL genotype showed significantly higher score of LSNS and lower score of WURS and GSAS than other genotypes. Conclusion ： The patient with gambling disorder who has LL COMT polymorphism is supposed to have lower gambling symptoms and also maintain more emotionally stable relation ship lasting from childhood to adulthood than other genotypes. To our knowledge, this is the first report for showing the differences in severity and sociality in gambling disorder between COMT genotypes.