No evidence for a preferential transmission of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677T allele in families with schizophrenia offspring

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and psychiatric diseases

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme for the critical process of one-carbon metabolism involving folate and homocysteine metabolisms. It is known that some polymorphism of MTHFR would result in reduction of MTHFR enzyme activity as well as DNA methylation process, later shown to have significant impacts in various psychiatric diseases. However, it is unclear whether the polymorphism of MTHFR could be an independent or an add-on risk factor for specific psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, positive, or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, or acts as risk factor for specific psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, major depression, autisms, and bipolar disorders. It is also understudied on whether folate supplements could be an effective treatment for psychiatric patients with defect MTHFR activity. In this review, we not only gathered the most recent discoveries on MTHFR polymorphism and related DNA methylation in various psychiatric disorders, but also highlighted the potential relationships between MTHFR activity and implication of folate-related function in specific mental diseases.

Association of plasma homocysteine and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T gene variant with schizophrenia: A Chinese Han population-based case-control study

This study examined the association of plasma homocysteine levels and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism with schizophrenia in the Han population residing in northern China. We detected the MTHFR C677T genotype in 123 schizophrenia patients and compared it with the genotype of 123 controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In addition, by using the cyclophorase method, the plasma homocysteine concentration in 62 schizophrenia patients was determined and then compared with that in 62 controls; these 62 patients and 62 controls were a subset of the 123 patients and 123 controls. We found that the homocysteine levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls. The frequency of homozygosity for the 677T allele of the MTHFR gene was higher in the patient group than in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant for both the MTHFR genotype and the frequency of allele homozygosity. A significant difference was observed in the plasma homocysteine levels among the different genotypes in the patient and control groups. In conclusion, both elevated plasma homocysteine levels and variation in the MTHFR 677C-->T gene are related to increased rates of schizophrenia and are risk factors for schizophrenia.

Two methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) polymorphisms, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: an association study

Recent meta-analyses of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) have suggested association between two of its functional single gene polymorphisms (SNPs; C677T and A1298C) and schizophrenia. Studies have also suggested association between MTHFR C677T and A1298C variation and bipolar disorder. In a replication attempt the MTHFR C677T and A1298C SNPs were analyzed in three Scandinavian schizophrenia case-control samples. In addition, Norwegian patients with bipolar disorder were investigated. There were no statistically significant allele or genotype case-control differences. The present Scandinavian results do not verify previous associations between the putative functional MTHFR gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, when combined with previous studies in meta-analyses there is still evidence for association between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and schizophrenia. Additional studies are warranted to shed further light on these relationships.