Polymorphisms in the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine transporter genes and their relationship to temperamental dimensions measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory in healthy volunteers

Abstract

There is evidence for an association between polymorphisms of monoamine transporter genes and temperamental personality traits. Recent findings have shown that interaction of allelic variants of the different genes may contribute to the personality factors. We studied the association between temperamental personality dimensions measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and polymorphisms of the dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET) and serotonin (5-HTT) transporter genes in 127 healthy Polish volunteers. There were no significant differences between means of TCI temperamental dimensions (novelty seeking, reward dependence, persistence and harm avoidance) and the transporter genes compared by ANOVA. There were some significant associations between genotypes and TCI subdimensions. Individuals carrying the A9/A9 DAT genotype have lower RD4 scores (dependence vs. independence) than A10/A10 individuals (3.0 +/- 1.4 vs. 3.5 +/- 1.3); p = 0.01. Examining 5-HTT gene promoter polymorphism, heterozygous individuals (l/s) and individuals with 44-bp deletion (s/s) scored significantly lower in the HA1 subdimension (anticipatory worry and pessimism vs. uninhibited optimism; 4.3 +/- 2.3 vs. 5.5 +/- 2.6) in comparison with individuals without deletion (l/l); p = 0.021. The NET transporter gene polymorphism showed no significant association with any of the temperamental TCI subdimensions.