Ren X, et al. - In view of the observed correlation of COMT gene polymorphism with mental disorders and sensitivity to pain, researchers examined how the COMT gene polymorphism is associated with labor anxiety and analgesia in pregnant women. According to a COMT genotype, they subdivided 391 pregnant women who were undergoing labor analgesia as follows: 180 pregnant women in the Val/Val (allele GG) group, 99 in the Met/Met (allele AA) group, and 132 in the Val/Met (allele GA) group. The State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), VAS, Ramsay sedation score, and epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were compared and analyzed among these women. Compared with the GG group, AA and GA groups displayed higher SAI and VAS scores, lower the Ramsay sedation score, and higher epinephrine and norepinephrine levels. Nonetheless, the groups AA and GA were not statistically significantly different regarding the SAI, VAS, Ramsay sedation score, and epinephrine and norepinephrine levels. These findings support the existences of an association of the COMT gene polymorphism with labor anxiety and analgesia among pregnant women. Pregnant women with Val158Met mutation in the COMT gene may experience worse labor anxiety and less-effective labor analgesia.