title: Serotonin transporter polymorphism and harm avoidance personality in chronic tension-type headache.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the 5-HTT-gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes and harm avoidance (HA) dimension in chronic tension-type headache (CTH).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Serotonin transporter protein (5-HTT) is a key modulating protein in synaptic serotonergic neurotransmission. Among serotonin gene-linked polymorphism, promoter located in the regulatory region of the 5-HTTLPR has two alleles (short and long) with different transcriptional efficiencies. The HA personality trait may be heritable and associated with serotonergic neurotransmitter activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We amplified the 5-HTTLPR by means of polymerase chain reaction and performed genotype polymorphism analyses and we investigated the serotonin-related personality trait by evaluating the HA dimension in tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ) in 107 patients with CTH and in 100 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found an excess frequency of the short allele and a different genotype distribution in patients with CTH. S/S genotype frequency was significantly higher in patients with CTH (76%) than in those with controls (59%; P=.02). Patients with CTH had significantly higher HA scores (21.4+/6.3) than controls (16.3+/-6.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This suggests a serotonergic activity might be involved in the development of CTH and 5-HTTLPR might be one of the genetically contributing factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joong Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hae Kook
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yeong In
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010551:Personality; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins