| Title: |
Concussion-associated gene variant COMT rs4680 is associated with elite rugby athlete status |
| Authors: |
Antrobus, MR; Brazier, J; Callus, P; Herbert, AJ; Stebbings, GK; Day, SH; Kilduff, LP; Bennett, MA; Erskine, RM; Raleigh, SM; Collins, M; Pitsiladis, YP; Heffernan, SM; Williams, AG |
| Publisher Information: |
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins |
| Publication Year: |
2022 |
| Collection: |
Liverpool John Moores University: LJMU Research Online |
| Subject Terms: |
BF Psychology; QH426 Genetics; RC1200 Sports Medicine |
| Description: |
Objective: Concussions are common match injuries in elite rugby and reports exist of reduced cognitive function and long-term health consequences that can interrupt or end a playing career and produce continued ill health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between elite rugby status and eight concussion-associated risk polymorphisms. We hypothesized that concussion-associated risk genotypes and alleles would be underrepresented in elite rugby athletes compared to non-athletes. Design: A case-control genetic association study. Setting: Institutional (university). Participants: Elite Caucasian male rugby athletes (n = 668, mean (standard deviation) height 1.85 (0.07) m, mass 102 (12) kg, age 29 (7) yr) and 1015 non-athlete Caucasian men and women (48% men). Interventions: Genotype was the independent variable, obtained via PCR of genomic DNA using TaqMan probes. Main Outcome Measure: Elite athlete status, with groups compared using χ2 and odds ratio. Results: The COMT rs4680 Met/Met (AA) genotype, Met allele possession and Met allele frequency were lower in rugby athletes (24.8%, 74.6% and 49.7%, respectively) than non-athletes (30.2%, 77.6%, and 54.0%; P < 0.05). The Val/Val (GG) genotype was more common in elite rugby athletes than non-athletes (odds ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.86). No other polymorphism was associated with elite athlete status. Conclusions: Elite rugby athlete status is associated with COMT rs4680 genotype that, acting pleiotropically, could affect stress resilience and behavioral traits during competition, concussion risk and/or recovery from concussion. Consequently, assessing COMT rs4680 genotype might aid future individualized management of concussion risk amongst athletes. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
text |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
1050-642X |
| Relation: |
https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16410/1/Antrobus_Concussion_SNPs_Rugby_CJSM_Accepted_2022.docx.pdf; Antrobus, MR, Brazier, J, Callus, P, Herbert, AJ, Stebbings, GK, Day, SH, Kilduff, LP, Bennett, MA, Erskine, RM, Raleigh, SM, Collins, M, Pitsiladis, YP, Heffernan, SM and Williams, AG (2022) Concussion-associated gene variant COMT rs4680 is associated with elite rugby athlete status. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. ISSN 1050-642X |
| DOI: |
10.1097/JSM.0000000000001030 |
| Availability: |
https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16410/; https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16410/1/Antrobus_Concussion_SNPs_Rugby_CJSM_Accepted_2022.docx.pdf; https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/9900/Concussion_Associated_Gene_Variant_COMT_rs4680_Is.7.aspx; https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000001030 |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.78966FEE |
| Database: |
BASE |