Abstract
Background
Disturbances in serotonin (5HT) transmission are the most frequently reported neurobiological
substrates of suicidal behavior. Because 5HT transporter plays a central role in the
regulation of 5HT synaptic function and its gene contains two functional polymorphisms
(5-HTTLPR in the promoter region and VNTR in the second intron), it represents an
interesting candidate for association studies in suicidal behavior.
Methods
In this study, a possible association of 5-HTTLPR and intron 2-VNTR polymorphisms
of the 5HT transporter gene with suicidal behavior was investigated in a sample of
135 suicide victims and 299 healthy control subjects of Croatian/southern Slavic origin.
Results
There were no significant differences in 5-HTTLPR and intron 2-VNTR genotype- and
allele- frequency distributions between suicide victims and healthy control subjects;
however, a tendency toward an increase of 5-HTTLPR allele L and VNTR-allele 10 were
observed in suicide group. Analysis of distribution of estimated haplotype frequencies
revealed differences between suicide victims and control subjects, with an excess
of haplotype L10 among suicide victims (p = .0112).
Conclusions
Our results provide modest evidence for a possible association of the 5HT transporter
gene with a completed suicide. Further studies are needed to determine whether alterations
in 5HTt gene expression are involved in suicidal behavior.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 23,
2003
Received in revised form:
October 2,
2002
Received:
July 2,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
