Abstract
Background: It has been recently reported that the short variant of the serotonin
transporter (5-HTT) gene-linked functional polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) influences
the antidepressant response to certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The
aim of the present study was to test this finding in a sample of major and bipolar
depressives, with or without psychotic features.
Methods: One hundred fifty-five inpatients were treated with fluvoxamine 300 mg and
either placebo or pindolol in a double-blind design for 6 weeks. The severity of depressive
symptoms was weekly assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Allelic
variation of 5-HTTLPR in each subject was determined using a polymerase chain reaction-based
technique.
Results: 5-HTTLPR short variant was associated with a poor response to fluvoxamine
treatment, independently from the recorded clinical variables. More specifically,
the diagnosis, the presence of psychotic features, and the severity of depressive
symptomatology did not influence this association. Conversely, pindolol augmentation
may ameliorate the rate of response in 5-HTTLPR short variant subjects, thus reducing
the difference in the response rate among the genotype variants.
Conclusions: If confirmed, these results may improve patient care by helping the clinician
to individualize treatment according to the patient’s genetic 5-HTTLPR pattern.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 2,
2001
Received in revised form:
January 29,
2001
Received:
September 18,
2000
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
