The association of catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype with the phenotype of women with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The modern brain imaging studies in patients with eating disorders have shown that neurotransmitting regulation differs distinctly from control groups. These disturbances have involved serotonin and dopamine system can be inherited and conditioned by genes. The aim of this work has been the analysis of association between eating disorders of anorexia or bulimia type and two polymorphisms of COMT gene. The additional goal has been the analysis of correlation among chosen personality and psychological features of ED women with the research gene variations. METHODS: The group taken as research sample consisted of adult 103 women (mean age=22.45+/-3.8 years) suffered from serious ED with illness lasting minimum 12 months. According to ICD-10 criteria, 61 women were diagnosed as anorexia nervosa while as 42 bulimia nervosa. The control group consisted of 108 ethnically and age-matched women with excluded major psychiatric disorders. The study groups were filling up the Eating Disorders Inventory and the Temperament and Character Inventory. The genotype of catechol-O-methyltransferase in two polymorphisms rs4633 (his102his) and rs4680 (val158met) was determined. RESULTS: The joined GGCT genotype increased the risk of having ED over fivefold and over sevenfold the risk of having bulimia. Also haplotype CT was found three times more often in ED women than in controls. Besides the homozygous genotypes, AACC and GGCC reduced substantially the relative risk of ED. The patients with the low activity COMT genotype scored higher in EDI scales ineffectiveness, drive for thinness and perfectionism. The high activity genotype was connected with underdeveloped features of character marked in the poor cooperativeness and the poor self-directedness. These connections among genotypes and character scales were more expressed in bulimia group.

Personality dimensions measured using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and NEO-FFI on a Polish sample.

UNLABELLED: The results of two self-administered, paper-and-pencil tests based on biosocial theory of personality have been compared simultaneously: the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The stability of the personality dimensions was assessed across age, sex and education level samples in a group of 406 Polish adults with major mental diseases excluded by use of PRIME-MD questionnaire. Significant effects of age, sex, and education have been found while comparing personality dimensions in both temperamental (novelty seeking, NS; harm avoidance, HA; reward dependence, RD; persistence, P) and character scales (cooperativeness, C; self-transcendence, ST) in TCI. Among subscales of temperament only NS1, RD4 were stable according to concerning factors. All converted to their age and sex norms NEO-FFI dimensions were stable according to sex. Extraversion scale was changeable depending on age (p = 0.04). Neuroticism dimension was a little higher in lower educated group (p = 0.035).To sum up, it was concluded that sex- and age-specific norms for the dimensions of the Polish version of TCI are necessary considering the established significant differences. Particular personality genetic studies should account for age, sex and also educational differences in their methods of associative studies. CONCLUSIONS: In the exploration of personality dimensions on healthy volunteers the Polish version of NEO-FFI corresponds better than TCI to theory of stability and genetic determinants of human personality. As the study included persons with excluded major mental diseases, the sample is appropriate to provide a control group in the research of psychiatric patients using both TCI and NEO-FFI. SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES: TCI scores for persons with excluded mental disease are highly changeable depending on age, sex and education. Adjusted to sex and age scores NEO-FFI corresponded better than TCI to stability and genetic determinants of human personality.

[Dental status in patients with eating disorders]. / Stan zebów u pacjentek z zaburzeniami odzywiania sie.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are serious eating disorders on the mental background that affect a significant number of young people. They lead to many complications including the ones within the oral cavity. The most frequent effects concerning tooth hard tissue are dental erosions. Erosions are characterized by the irreversible process of demineralization of the external layers of tissues of the tooth. This paper reviews literature to assess the oral status and dental complications in patients with eating disorders.

Association of eating disorders with catechol-o-methyltransferase gene functional polymorphism.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genetic variation as a risk factor for eating disorders (ED). METHOD: Eighty women receiving treatment for serious ED (52 for anorexia nervosa, 28 for bulimia nervosa) and 116 age-matched females in the control group underwent COMT genotyping for polymorphism in exon 4 (codon 158). Both the low-activity allele and the high-activity allele (H) were determined. RESULTS: The H/H genotype was twice as frequent in the ED group as in the control group (52.5% in the ED group and 25% in controls, chi(2) = 15.5, d.f. = 2, p < 0.001, odds ratio = 3.343). The H/H genotype was found in 57.7% of anorexia nervosa patients (chi(2) = 16.860, p < 0.001, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium = 0.003, odds ratio = 4.202). The H allele (val) was discovered in 66.9% of ED patients in comparison to 47.8% of patients from the control group (chi(2) = 13.89, p < 0.001, odds ratio = 6.088). In the anorexia group, H allele frequency was enhanced even higher (70.2 vs. 47.8%, chi(2) = 14.48, p < 0.001, odds ratio = 8.175). The genotype associations in the subgroup of bulimia patients were not significant, but a trend for a higher frequency of the H allele was found (p = 0.084, odds ratio = 5.309). CONCLUSIONS: These findings seem to suggest that a turnover of catecholamines, connected with polymorphism determining high activity of COMT enzyme, is connected with the risk of ED occurrence, particularly anorexia nervosa. The risk is significantly higher for women with an allele of higher activity.

[Temperament and character of Polish women with anorexia and bulimia nervosa]. / Analiza wymiarów temperamentu i charakteru u doroslych kobiet z zaburzeniami odzywiania sie.

AIM: One of the factors influencing eating disorders are personality traits. The authors analyse temperament and character of healthy women. METHOD: The Cloninger Temperament and character Inventory was applied to 52 eating disordered patients (33 with anorexia nervosa and 19 with bulimia nervosa). The patients were divided into subgroups of restrictive type and bulimic types of anorexia, bulimia and bulimic episodes. RESULTS: In all the subgroups of the patients a higher result was obtained on the harm avoidance scale (HA), cooperativeness (C) and the self transcendence ST2 subscale. Lower results were seen in self-directedness (SD) in the SD2, SD3 and SD5 subscales. The subgroups differed in temperament. Bulimia patients noted a higher need for NS stimulation and a higher reward dependence (RD). Anorectic patients had higher results in the persistance scale (P), whilst the restrictive anorectic patients had lower results in the NS1 and RD3 subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The TCI Inventory is a useful tool, helping for a precise measurement of the difference in temperament of anorectic and bulimia patients as compared to their healthy peers.