Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and schizoid personality traits in the patients with psychosis and psychiatrically well subjects.
OBJECTIVE
serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene allelic variants were shown to be associated with Neuroticism and Harm Avoidance but the results were not replicated in other studies. The current investigation was undertaken in a further attempt to study the relationship between 5-HTT polymorphism and personality traits.


METHODS
to evaluate a spectrum of personality traits, MMPI was administered to a sample including patients with affective disorders (n=114), patients with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses (n=110) and psychiatrically well controls (n=124). All groups were genotyped for VNTR-17 and functional insertion-deletion (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms.


RESULTS
an association was found between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and scores on three MMPI scales: Psychopathic deviance, Paranoia and Schizophrenia in patients with affective disorders and S chizophrenia in normal subjects. Both affected and control individuals with 'ss' genotype exhibited lower scores on these scales.


CONCLUSIONS
we demonstrated that functional deletion/insertion allelic variation associated with decreased expression of serotonin transporter ('s' allele or 'ss' genotype) may restrict expression of schizoid traits in normal subjects and patients with affective disorders.
Golimbet
Vera E
VE
The Preventive Genetics Laboratory, Research Mental Health Center, Zagorodnoe sh 2/2, 113152 Moscow, Russia. golimbet@mail.ru
Alfimova
Margarita V
MV
Shcherbatikh
Tatyana
T
Kaleda
Vasili G
VG
Abramova
Lilia I
LI
Rogaev
Evgeni I
EI
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012557:Schizoid Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins