Association Between the Frequency of rs4680 COMT Polymorphism in Elite Iranian Male Athletes: An Experimental and In Silico Study

The COMT gene, with its influence on motivation, emotions, stress tolerance, self-control, pain processing, perception, and neurodegeneration, may underpin variations in sports competition outcomes. Thus, this study aims to explore the frequency of the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism in elite Iranian male athletes in the domains of basketball and wrestling.

A total of 60 wrestlers, 55 basketball players, and 60 non-athletes were included as subjects. Saliva samples were used for DNA extraction, and the Tetra ARMS PCR method was employed for genotype determination. The impact of mutations on mRNA second structure and COMT gene function was assessed using RNAsnp and PolyPhen-2 servers, respectively. SPSS22 software facilitated data analysis, with the chi-square test applied to evaluate genotype frequency.

The study did not reveal any association between the COMT rs4680 polymorphism and elite wrestlers and basketball players. Significant differences in genotype distributions or allele frequencies were not observed among (1) wrestlers and basketball players; (2) wrestlers and non-athletes; (3) basketball players and non-athletes. However, further replication studies are warranted (P < 0.05).

No significant association was identified between the COMT rs4680 polymorphism and the elite status of wrestlers and basketball players in the studied population. Nevertheless, additional replication studies are imperative for a comprehensive understanding of these relationships.