RETRACTED ARTICLE: Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Focus on Catalase Gene Variability

Abstract

RETRACTED ARTICLE: This article has been retracted by the Editorial Office due to authorship and publication ethics concerns.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder characterized by intrusive obsessions and repetitive compulsions. Although serotonergic and cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit dysfunctions are well established in OCD pathophysiology, emerging evidence highlights the role of oxidative stress in its neurobiological mechanisms. Oxidative imbalance results from excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) relative to antioxidant defense capacity, leading to neuronal dysfunction, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial impairment, and altered neurotransmission. Catalase (CAT), a key antioxidant enzyme, detoxifies hydrogen peroxide and maintains redox homeostasis in the central nervous system. Genetic polymorphisms in the CAT gene may influence enzyme activity and modulate susceptibility to oxidative damage. This review summarizes current evidence regarding oxidative stress in OCD, the biological significance of catalase in the brain, and the potential contribution of CAT genetic variability to OCD pathogenesis.