C677T Polymorphism in the MTHFR Gene Is Associated With Risperidone-Induced Weight Gain in Schizophrenia

Jingping Liao; Ning Wang; Mengying Ma; Tianlan Lu; Hao Yan; Weihua Yue

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00617

C677T Polymorphism in the MTHFR Gene Is Associated With Risperidone-Induced Weight Gain in Schizophrenia

Front Psychiatry. 2020 Jul 2:11:617. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00617. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Jingping Liao^{1

2

3}, Ning Wang⁴, Mengying Ma^{1

2}, Tianlan Lu^{1

2}, Hao Yan^{1

2}, Weihua Yue^{1

2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
² National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University) & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit (No.2018RU006), Beijing, China.
³ School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Center for Biological Psychiatry, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁵ PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism with risperidone-induced weight gain.

Methods: We analyzed the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and risperidone-induced weight gain in 356 schizophrenia patients. The patients were treated with risperidone for 8 weeks. The height and body weight of the patients were measured before and 8 weeks after risperidone treatment. Blood DNA was genotyped for MTHFR C677T polymorphisms.

Results: We found a significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and body mass index (BMI) change after 8-week risperidone treatment. The BMI of carriers with different genotypes of MTHFR gene increased over 2-8 weeks. After 8 weeks of risperidone treatment, BMI added value (kg/m²) of CC or CT genotype carriers was significantly higher than that of TT genotype carriers [CC (4.47 ± 1.09), CT (4.54 ± 1.27), TT (2.31 ± 0.75), F = 5.634, P = 0.001]. Based on whether the rate of weight gain from baseline at 8 weeks of treatment exceeded 7%, it was divided into a weight gain group (n = 61) and a non-weight gain group (n = 295). The C allele frequency was significantly different between the two groups (48.4% vs 32.4%, χ² = 11.342, P = 0.001).

Conclusion: MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with risperidone-induced weight gain in Chinese Han population.

Keywords: MTHFR; antipsychotic; risperidone medications; schizophrenia; weight gain.