A gender-specific association between the serotonin transporter gene and suicide attempts.
This pilot study tested the gender-specificity of the association between suicide attempts and a polymorphism in the promoter area of the serotonin transporter with two allelic variants, a long (1) variant and a short (s) variant. In a Spanish general hospital, 180 suicide attempters (121 women and 59 men) and 212 control blood donors (93 women and 119 men) were recruited. Subjects were classified as S individuals (s/s or s/l) with low expression of the serotonin transporter, and L individuals (l/l) with high expression. S individuals were significantly overrepresented (or L, underrepresented) in female attempters when compared with female controls and male attempters. Lethality appeared to have a significant influence on the effects of the genotype in suicide since S females were overrepresented among non-lethal female attempters. Further studies are needed to replicate that the serotonin genotype polymorphism may influence suicide attempts only in females.
Baca-García
Enrique
E
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Universidad de Alcala-Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Vaquero
Concepción
C
Diaz-Sastre
Carmen
C
Saiz-Ruiz
Jeronimo
J
Fernández-Piqueras
José
J
de Leon
Jose
J
D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012701:Serotonin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin