Association study of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genetic polymorphism 677C>T with schizophrenia in hospitalized patients in population of European Russia

The purpose of the research was to investigate the association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (hereinafter MTHFR) genetic polymorphism 677C>T with schizophrenia in the Russian population in comparison with the control group of healthy blood donors. Also some characteristics of schizophrenia were examined in patients with/without defective T-allele of MTHFR677C>T polymorphism. 500 patients with schizophrenia and 499 blood donors were examined for T-allele carriage of polymorphism MTHFR677C>T by PCR method. 150 archival medical records were studied (in the first patients included in the study). The carriage of T-allele of genetic polymorphism MTHFR677C>T was significantly more common in patients than in healthy donors: 255/500 versus 219/499 (p = 0,0287, χ2 = 4,79; OR = 1,33, 95%CI [1037; 1707]). The number of patients with chronic type of schizophrenia onset was significantly more among T-allele carriers (n = 77) than among normal CC-genotype carriers (n = 73): р = 0.038. The number of “incapacitated” persons in the group of patients with defective T-allele (n = 77) was significantly higher than in patients with normal genotype (n = 73, p = 0.0439; OR = 2.878, 95%CI = 1.111-7.456). The results suggest that T-allele of genetic polymorphism MTHFR677C>T in the population of European Russia may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and its unfavorable prognosis, which requires further investigation.