HTR2A A-1438G/T102C polymorphisms predict negative symptoms performance upon aripiprazole treatment in schizophrenic patients.
BACKGROUND
Aripiprazole acts as a partial agonist at dopamine D2 and D3 and serotonin 1A receptors and as an antagonist at serotonin 2A receptors (HTR2A). Since aripiprazole acts as an antagonist at HTR2A, genetic variants of HTR2A may be important in explaining variability in response to aripiprazole.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated whether the efficacy of aripiprazole can be predicted by functional HTR2A A-1438G/T102C polymorphisms (rs63311/rs6313) as modified by clinical factors in Han Chinese hospitalized patients with acutely exacerbated schizophrenia.


METHODS
After hospitalization, the patients (n = 128) were given a 4-week course of aripiprazole. Patients were genotyped for HTR2A A-1438G/T102C polymorphisms via the restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Clinical factors such as gender, age, duration of illness, education level, diagnostic subtype, and medication dosage were noted as well. The researchers measured psychopathology biweekly, using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). A mixed model regression approach (SAS Proc MIXED) was used to analyze the effects of genetic and clinical factors on PANSS performance after aripiprazole treatment.


RESULTS
We found that the GG/CC genotype group of HTR2A A-1438G/T102C polymorphisms predicts poor aripiprazole response specifically for negative symptoms. In addition, the clinical factors, including dosage of aripiprazole, age, duration of illness, and diagnostic subtype, were found to influence PANSS performance after aripiprazole treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest HTR2A A-1438G/T102C polymorphisms may predict negative symptoms performance upon aripiprazole treatment in schizophrenic patients as modified by clinical factors.
Chen
Shih-Fen
SF
Institute of Biotechnology, Dong-Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Shen
Yu-Chih
YC
Chen
Chia-Hsiang
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015363:Quinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D000068180:Aripiprazole