Distribution of the serotonin 2C (5HT2C) receptor gene -759C/T polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia and normal controls.
BACKGROUND
In patients with schizophrenia, the percentage of patients with diabetes has been found to be twice that of the normal population. The risk factors for this higher rate are unknown, although dietary, lifestyle, and genetic factors have all been suggested. Recently, a polymorphism (-759C/T) in the serotonin 2C (5HT2C) receptor promoter region has been associated with the development of diabetes in a normal control population, with the frequency of the T allele being higher in subjects without diabetes.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the distribution of the -759C/T polymorphism of the 5HT2C receptor is different among patients with schizophrenia and normal controls.


METHODS
DNA from 100 patients with schizophrenia and 81 normal controls were analyzed for the 5HT2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism to determine its allelic frequencies in these two groups.


RESULTS
Using a chi-squared analysis, no statistical differences in the distribution of C alleles and T alleles were found between the two groups (P=0.2931).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with schizophrenia have a higher risk for developing diabetes than the general population. We did not find a higher distribution of the -759T allele of the 5HT2C receptor in normal controls compared with in patients with schizophrenia. This suggests the higher prevalence of diabetes in schizophrenia is not due to this polymorphism.
Ellingrod
Vicki L
VL
College of Pharmacy, Clinical and Administrative Division, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA. vicki-ellingrod@uiowa.edu
Miller
Del
D
Ringold
John C
JC
Perry
Paul J
PJ
D003596:Cytosine; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D013941:Thymine; D044465:White People
D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D003596:Cytosine; D013941:Thymine