Bipolar Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bipolar, including details on bipolar disorder, symptoms, treatment, depression, medication.

Association study of a novel functional polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene in bipolar disorder and suicidal behaviour.

De Luca V, Tharmalingam S, King N, Strauss J, Bulgin N, Kennedy JL

Neurogenetics Section, Clarke Site, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street R-30, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1R8, Canada. Vincenzo_Deluca@camh.net

A serotonin transporter gene linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been investigated in several genetic association studies, including studies of bipolar disorder (BD) and suicidality. The current study was designed to examine whether the new long (A/G) variant polymorphism of the 5-HTT gene may be associated with the suicide attempts in 305 families with at least one member having BD. No association with history of suicide attempt was found either in the multiallelic HTTLPR (LRS=0.15, df=2, P=0.92), or with the intron 2 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism (LRS=0.87 df=2 P=0.64). When we performed a haplotype analysis, we found no association between suicide attempt and haplotype distribution (LRS=1.84 df=4 P=0.76). These findings suggest that this new polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene may not influence suicidal behaviour in patients with bipolar disorder.

Published 5 October 2005 in Psychopharmacology (Berl), 182(1): 128-31.
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