title: Ethnicity moderates the association between 5-HTTLPR and national suicide rates.
abstract: The association between ethnicity, national suicide rates, and the functional serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), under consideration of the role of economic indicators, national alcohol intake, and national happiness scores was analyzed with an ecologic analysis. Data on allelic frequencies of the short (s) allele from 38 countries from over 100,000 healthy screened or general population individuals were analyzed with multiple regression models. Allele frequency varied widely both within and across ethnicities and an ethnicity-based interaction between national suicide rates and 5-HTTLPR allele frequency was revealed with the s allele acting as protective factor in Caucasian and as a risk factor in non-Caucasian populations. This interaction effect underlines the importance of ethnicity as a moderating factor in the genetics of suicide.
authors.forename: Anne H E
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Schild
authors.forename: Ingo W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Nader
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pietschnig
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Voracek
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins