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Serotonin transporter polymorphism (5‐HTTLPR) association with melancholic depression: a female specific effect?
Author(s) -
Baune Bernhard T.,
Hohoff Christa,
Mortensen Lena S.,
Deckert Jürgen,
Arolt Volker,
Domschke Katharina
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20433
Subject(s) - serotonin transporter , 5 httlpr , depression (economics) , psychology , association (psychology) , serotonin , polymorphism (computer science) , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , biology , genetics , psychotherapist , receptor , genotype , gene , macroeconomics , economics
Abstract Earlier studies yielded inconsistent results on the association between variation in the serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) gene and depression, with evidence for a differential effect of the 5‐HTTLPR on melancholic versus atypical depression. To further delineate the impact of 5‐HTT gene variation on psychopathology in depression, in this analysis the influence of the 5‐HTTLPR and the functionally closely related 5‐HTT rs25531 was investigated in 340 Caucasian patients with a major depressive episode (DSM‐IV) with particular attention to the subtype of depression (melancholic depression versus atypical depression) applying logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender. The homozygous, more active 5‐HTTLPR LL genotype was significantly associated with melancholic depression (odds ratio, OR, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.1–2.6; P =0.04), with the effect originating in the female subgroup of patients (OR 1.9; 95%CI 1.0–3.4; P =0.05). Also, the more active 5‐HTTLPR/5‐HTT rs25531 haplotype L A L A conveyed a significant risk for melancholic depression (OR 2.0; 95%CI 1.3–3.1; P =0.001), again only in the female subsample of patients (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.1–4.1; P =0.02). The present results provide further support for an association of genetic variation increasing serotonin transporter activity with the melancholic subtype of depression as well as evidence for a potential female‐specific mechanism underlying this effect. Depression and Anxiety, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.