Concussion-Associated Gene Variant COMT rs4680 Is Associated With Elite Rugby Athlete Status

Antrobus, Mark R. and Brazier, Jon and Callus, Peter and Herbert, Adam J. and Stebbings, Georgina K. and Day, Stephen H. and Kilduff, Liam P. and Bennett, Mark A. and Erskine, Robert M. and Raleigh, Stuart M. and Collins, Malcolm and Pitsiladis, Yannis P. and Heffernan, Shane M. and Williams, Alun G. (2022) Concussion-Associated Gene Variant COMT rs4680 Is Associated With Elite Rugby Athlete Status. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. ISSN 1536-3724

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Official URL: https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/9900...

Abstract

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 8 concussion-associated risk polymorphisms. We hypothesized that concussion-associated risk genotypes and alleles would be underrepresented in elite rugby athletes compared with nonathletes.

DESIGN

A case-control genetic association study.

SETTING

Institutional (university).

PARTICIPANTS

Elite White male rugby athletes [n = 668, mean (SD) height 1.85 (0.07) m, mass 102 (12) kg, and age 29 (7) years] and 1015 nonathlete White men and women (48% men).

INTERVENTIONS

Genotype was the independent variable, obtained by PCR of genomic DNA using TaqMan probes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Elite athlete status with groups compared using χ2 and odds ratio (OR).

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 nonathletes (30.2%, 77.6%, and 54.0%; P < 0.05). The Val/Val (GG) genotype was more common in elite rugby athletes than nonathletes (OR 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 among athletes.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1097/JSM.0000000000001030
Dates:	Date Event 22 February 2022 Accepted 29 March 2022 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	rugby, genetics, concussion, brain, polymorphism, behavior
Subjects:	CAH03 - biological and sport sciences > CAH03-01 - biosciences > CAH03-01-07 - genetics CAH03 - biological and sport sciences > CAH03-01 - biosciences > CAH03-01-08 - molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry CAH03 - biological and sport sciences > CAH03-02 - sport and exercise sciences > CAH03-02-01 - sport and exercise sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (C-LASS)
Depositing User:	Adam Herbert
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2022 12:59
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 03:00
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/13187