Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) gene polymorphism may not confer a susceptibility to mood disorders

Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) plays a key role in the cellular antioxidant defense by detoxifying quinine derivatives. Case-control association study of the possible relationship between the NQO1 gene polymorphism and mood disorders (patients with major depressive disorder, n=61; patients with bipolar I disorder, n=80; control, n=106) was carried out using PCR-based techniques. These preliminary results showed that the NQO1 gene polymorphism was not related to a susceptibility to mood disorders.