title: Association between a serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5HTTLPR) and personality disorder traits in a community sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The serotonin transporter (SERT) polymorphism (5HTTLPR) has been reported to be associated with several psychiatric conditions. Specific personality disorders could be intermediate factors in the known relationship between 5HTTLPR and psychiatric disorders. This is the first study to test the association between this polymorphism and dimensions of all DSM-IV personality disorders in a community sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  374 white participants were assessed by clinical psychologists using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Associations between dimensions of each DSM-IV personality disorder and the long (l) and short (s) alleles of the 5HTTLPR were evaluated using non-parametric tests and regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The s allele of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism was significantly associated with higher avoidant personality trait scores in the whole sample. Males with the s allele had a significantly lower likelihood of higher obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) trait scores, whereas females with the s allele were likely to have higher OCPD personality trait scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper provides preliminary data on the relationship between personality disorders and the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. The relationship of the s allele and avoidant PD is consistent with findings of a nonspecific relationship of this polymorphism to anxiety and depressive disorders. Concerning the unusual sexual dimorphic result with OCPD, several hypotheses are presented. These findings need further replication, including a more detailed study of additional variants in SERT.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. r.m.blom@amc.uva.nl
authors: Rianne M
authors: RM
authors: Blom
authors: Jack F
authors: JF
authors: Samuels
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Riddle
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Joseph Bienvenu
authors: Marco A
authors: MA
authors: Grados
authors: Irving M
authors: IM
authors: Reti
authors: William W
authors: WW
authors: Eaton
authors: Kung-Yee
authors: KY
authors: Liang
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Nestadt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003193:Compulsive Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins