759C/T Variants of the Serotonin (5-HT2C) Receptor Gene and Weight Gain in Children and Adolescents in Long-Term Risperidone Treatment.
BACKGROUND
Great inter-individual variability exists in the susceptibility to gain weight during antipsychotic treatment. Thus, we examined whether the -759C/T variants in the promoter region of the 5HT2C receptor gene were differentially associated with weight gain in children and adolescents in long-term risperidone treatment.


METHODS
Medically healthy 7 to 17 year-olds, treated with risperidone for ≥ six months, were enrolled. Anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and treatment history were obtained upon enrollment and from medical records. The effect of the genotype on the trajectory of age-sex-adjusted weight and body mass index (BMI) z scores before and after the onset of risperidone treatment was investigated.


RESULTS
In 124 subjects (90% males, mean age: 11.8 years) treated with risperidone for a mean of 2.8 years, weight and BMI z scores significantly increased after starting risperidone. This change was similar across the two genotype groups as were changes in several cardiometabolic variables.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to other reports, the T allele failed to confer protection against excessive weight gain or cardiometabolic abnormalities in this group of children and adolescents chronically treated with risperidone.
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, USA.
Nicole
N
Del Castillo
Department of Biostatistics, The University of Iowa College of Public Health, USA.
Bridget
B
Zimmerman M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, USA.
Billie
B
Tyler
Department of Clinical Social and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, USA.
Vicki L
VL
Ellingrod
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research, USA.
Chadi
C
Calarge
Adolescents; Antipsychotic; Predictors; Serotonin gene; Variants; Weight gain