title: Association of serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms with poststroke depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) have been associated with mental illness. In people with long-term medical conditions, variants of the 5-HTTLPR and STin2 VNTR polymorphisms of SERT have been shown to confer a heightened vulnerability to comorbid depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the 5-HTTLPR, STin2 VNTR, and rs25531 polymorphisms of SERT are associated with poststroke depression (PSD) in stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study in which stroke survivors were screened for depressive symptoms and assigned to either a depressed group or a nondepressed group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five stroke survivors with PSD and 75 nondepressed stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood or saliva samples were collected from each participant for DNA extraction and genotyping.
  
  
  METHODS
  The associations between the 5-HTTLPR, STin2 VNTR, and rs25531 polymorphisms and PSD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with the 5-HTTLPR s/s genotype had 3-fold higher odds of PSD compared with l/l or l/xl genotype carriers (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-8.3). Participants with the STin2 9/12 or 12/12 genotype had 4-fold higher odds of PSD compared with STin2 10/10 genotype carriers (odds ratio, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-13.6). An association of rs25531 with PSD was not shown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 5-HTTLPR and the STin2 VNTR, but not the rs25531, polymorphisms of SERT are associated with PSD in stroke survivors. This gives further evidence of a role of SERT polymorphisms in mediating resilience to biopsychosocial stress.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle,WA 98108, USA. ruko@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohen
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: Pamela H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Kyra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buzaitis
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Millard
authors.forename: Grace P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Navaja
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teri
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tirschwell
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins