Pharmacogenetics of catechol-O-methyltransferase: frequency of low activity allele in a Ghanaian population.

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Ameyaw MM, Syvanen AC, Ulmanen I, Ofori-Adjei D, McLeod HL

Pharmacogenetics of catechol-O-methyltransferase: frequency of low activity allele in a Ghanaian population.

Hum Mutat. 2000 Nov;16(5):445-6.

PubMed ID

11058906 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalyses the O-methylation of neurotransmitters, catechol hormones and drugs such as levodopa and methyldopa. Ethnic differences in COMT activity have been observed in several populations. Previous studies suggest that the g1947G>A low activity allele is less common in individuals of African origin. COMT genotyping was performed using a mini-sequencing method in 195 healthy Ghanaians with a frequency of the homozygous g1947G>A of 6%. This study provides confirmation that the low activity COMT allele is less common in individuals of African origin. This finding may be important clinically with regards to the treatment of many neuropsychiatric disorders and in the pathophysiology of various human disorders including estrogen-induced cancers, Parkinson's disease, depression and hypertension.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Enzymes

Drug	Enzyme	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Methyldopa	Catechol O-methyltransferase	Protein	Humans	No	Substrate	Details