Polymorphisms of Genes for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, Tyrosine Hydroxylase, and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Depression and Metabolic Syndrome

Zeman, Miroslav; Jáchymová, M.; Jirák, R.; Vecka, M.; Tvrzická, E.; Staňková, B.; Žák, A.

doi:10.14712/fb2010056010019

Folia Biologica > Archive > 2010, Vol. 56 > Issue 1 > Polymorphisms of Genes for Brain-Derived…

Fol. Biol. 2010, 56, 19-26

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2010056010019

Polymorphisms of Genes for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, Tyrosine Hydroxylase, and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Depression and Metabolic Syndrome

Miroslav Zeman¹, M. Jáchymová², R. Jirák³, M. Vecka¹, E. Tvrzická¹, B. Staňková¹, A. Žák¹

¹Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
²Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Prague, Czech Republic
³Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Psychiatric Clinic, Prague, Czech Republic

Received February 2009
Accepted October 2009

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome as well as the occurrence of depressive disorder, which are both connected with increased risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 and cardiovascular diseases, is continually increasing worldwide. These disorders are interconnected at various levels; the genetic one seems to be promising. Contribution of genetic factors to the aetiopathogenesis of depressive disorder weighs within the range 40–50 %, whereas the genetic background for the manifestation of metabolic syndrome is more complicated. In this pilot study, we investigated the incidence of polymorphisms in several genes supposed to play a role in the development of both depressive disorder and metabolic syndrome such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, tyrosine hydroxylase, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. The entire group consisted of 42 patients with depressive disorder, 57 probands with metabolic syndrome and 41 control individuals. We found that genotype Met/Met of the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene was positively associated with depressive disorder (P < 0.05), but we were not able to find any significant associations of both the depressive disorder and metabolic syndrome with the remaining polymorphisms studied (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677CT, methylenetet rahydrofolate reductase 1298AC, endothelial nitric oxide synthase Glu298Asp, and tyrosine hydroxylase).

Keywords

depression, metabolic syndrome, BDNF, gene polymorphism.

Funding

This work was supported by the research grant of the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic NR 8806-3, and by research project MSM 0021620820 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.