title: The 5HTT and MAO-A polymorphisms associate with depressive mood and climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the 44-bp polymorphism in the 5HTTLPR (SLC 6A4) (serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region, solute carrier family 6 member 4) promoter region and the 30-bpVNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) polymorphism in the MAO-A (monoamine oxidase A) promoter region on the prevalence of depressive mood and the severity of climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 630 women from northern Poland who had their last menstrual period at least one year before the study. The women did not abuse alcohol or cigarettes, had not been diagnosed as having endocrinological, cancerous or mental diseases, and had not received psychiatric treatment by the time. This survey-based study was performed using the following research instruments: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index, to measure the severity of climacteric symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the women was 57.5 ± 6.4 years. Depressive symptoms of different severity according to the BDI were diagnosed in 29.2% of the women (minor-18.6%, moderate-7.1%, severe-3.5%) and according to the Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index were diagnosed in 42% of the women (minor-24.1%, moderate-9.2%, severe-8.7%). Allele 'l' was significantly more common in the women without climacteric symptoms than those with minor, moderate or severe climacteric complaints (p ≤ 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the severity of climacteric and depressive symptoms (p ≤ 0.05). The women who had severe climacteric symptoms also had more severe depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. The 5HTTLPR gene polymorphism contributes to climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women. 2. The Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index is an instrument which can not only be used for the measurement of the severity of climacteric symptoms but also the early detection of perimenopausal women at the risk of developing depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Propedeutics in Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grochans
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grzywacz
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurczak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samochowiec
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karakiewicz
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brodowska
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Starczewski
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Samochowiec
mesh_terms: D002979:Climacteric / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; C579458:monoamine oxidase A, human
keywords: 5HTT; 5HTTLPR; BDI; Beck Depression Inventory; Climacteric; Depressive; ICD-10; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems; MAO-A; MHT; PCR; Polymorphism; Postmenopausal; SLC6A4; VNTR; menopause hormone therapy; monoamine oxidase A; polymerase chain reaction; serotonin transporter; serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region; solute carrier family 6 member 4; variable number of tandem repeats