COMT in Pain Disorders
COMT-and-Chronic-Pain
COMT in Chronic Pain
Key Takeaways
- The COMT enzyme is a key factor in the metabolism of neurotransmitters, including those involved in pain sensation.
- Blocking the COMT enzyme causes chronic pain by sensitizing certain pain receptors and increasing inflammatory cytokines.
- Polymorphisms in the COMT gene affect how the enzyme works and how sensitive people are to perceiving pain.
- COMT SNPs affect an individual’s pain levels in chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia, TMJ, back pain, and IBS.
Table 1: My Genetic Variants
| Gene | RS ID | Your Genotype | Effect Allele | Effect Allele Frequency | Notes About Effect Allele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMT | rs4680 | AA | A | 0.48 | GG = higher activity; AG = Intermediate activity; AA = lower activity |
| COMT | rs4633 | TT | T | 0.48 | CC = higher activity; TT = lower COMT activity |
| COMT | rs6267 | GG | T | 0.003 | Minor decrease in COMT |
| COMT | rs165599 | AA | A | 0.64 | Minor decrease in COMT |
| COMT | rs165774 | AG | A | 0.29 | lower COMT activity; more likely to have irrational beliefs if subjected to maltreatment |