Association of 677C>T Polymorphism of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Gene with Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism 677C>T has been shown to be a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. We investigated the genotype and allelic frequencies of MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism in the group of patients with bipolar disorder type I (BDI) (n=200) and schizophrenia (n=200), and in the control group (n=300). Odds ratio (OR) for patients with BD and schizophrenia with 677T allele was 1.988 ((95% CI=1.370-2.883); P=0.0003 (P=0.0006 after Bonferroni correction)) and 1.796 ((95% CI=1.237-2.609); P=0.0020 (P=0.0040 after Bonferroni correction)), respectively. The stratification of patients based on gender revealed significant association of 677T allele with male patients with BDI and schizophrenia (OR=2.393; 95% CI=1.429-4.006; P=0.0008 and OR=2.036; 95% CI=1.207-3.433; P=0.0073, respectively). This finding indicates possible association of BD and schizophrenia with the 1p36.3 MTHFR locus.