Schizophrenia and the serotonin transporter gene

Psychiatr Genet. 1998 Winter;8(4):207-12. doi: 10.1097/00041444-199808040-00002.

Abstract

A case control study was conducted among cases with schizophrenia (DSM IV criteria) and screened adult controls from three cohorts. Bi-allelic polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) were examined in conjunction with those of the serotonin 5-HT2a receptor (HTR2). No significant association with 5-HTT was detected among US Caucasians (n = 207), African-Americans (n = 84) or Caucasians from Sweden (n = 221). However, survival analysis suggested an association with the age at onset among the Swedish cases. The association should be considered tentative as it was not evident in the smaller US samples. The following exploratory analyses among the US samples were also not significant: associations with subgroups of patients based on familiality or response to medications, or altered risk due to the joint effects of 5-HTT and HTR2 genotypes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Alleles
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Black People / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cohort Studies
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Life Tables
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Pennsylvania / epidemiology
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A
  • Receptors, Serotonin / genetics
  • Risk Factors
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Survival Analysis
  • Sweden / epidemiology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • White People / genetics

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A
  • Receptors, Serotonin
  • SLC6A4 protein, human
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins