title: No association of a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene promoter and anxiety-related personality traits.
abstract: Serotonergic neurotransmission, which is involved in many psychiatric disorders, is mediated by the serotonin transporter protein. Gene coding for the serotonin transporter protein is designated SLC6A4, which has been differentially associated with anxiety-related behavioral traits and neuroticism in healthy subjects. To confirm the association between the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and anxiety-related personality traits, we examined 228 healthy unrelated participants (age 38.6 +/- 12.8 years; 115 male, 113 female) of German origin, who were carefully examined with respect to psychiatric health. The self-ratable State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were performed. No significant association was observed between the 5-HTTLPR genotype and STAI 1 (state, chi2 = 0.82, p < 0.66, d.f. = 2), STAI 2 (trait, chi2 = 2.7, p < 0.25, d.f. = 2) and NEO-FFI scores of any of the 5 major axes, including neuroticism (chi2 = 3.35, p < 0.18, d.f. = 2) in all subjects. Given the small effect of this 5-HTT polymorphism on behaviour in previous studies, a lack of significant genotype differences in these tests could be due to considerable individual variability in these measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Benjamin Franklin Medical School, Free University of Berlin, Germany. undine.lang@medizin.fu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Undine E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajbouj
authors.forename: Catrin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wernicke
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rommelspacher
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Danker-Hopfe
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallinat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins