Roles of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in early- and late-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND: The C677T and A1298C mutations of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have been linked with conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, but there are not clear the relationship between MTHFR polymorphisms and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). AIM: The current study was planned to investigate the link between the MTHFR polymorphisms and OCD in patients to reveal any potential correlations that may be used as a novel marker in diagnosis of people who are in high-risk group of developing OCD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples from 64 highly characterized symptomatic cases and 64 gender- and age-matched control participants were analyzed for MTHFR C677T and A1298C gene variants. The MTHFR gene polymorphisms were detected through real-time polymerase chain reaction, followed by melting curve analysis. The results were tested with analysis of variance test and the differences with P < 0.05 were reported as statistically significant. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference in age, education level, and marital status was found in the comparison of all groups in sociodemographic findings (P = 0.004, P = 0.001, and P = 0.001, respectively). A statistically significant difference was found in the comparison of the tic story of early- and late-onset OCD patients (P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the genotype frequencies and allele distributions of MTHFR polymorphisms between the patients and controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that MTHFR polymorphisms are unlikely to play a major role in the pathogenesis of OCD. Further studies are needed in biochemical data on folate metabolism to clarify the effect of the MTHFR polymorphisms in OCD pathophysiology.