Serotonin 2A receptor gene polymorphism and personality traits: no evidence for significant association

• Published in: Psychiatric genetics Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 67
• Main Authors: Tochigi, Mamoru, Umekage, Tadashi, Kato, Chieko, Marui, Tetsuya, Otowa, Takeshi, Hibino, Hiroyuki, Otani, Toshiyuki, Kohda, Kazuhisa, Kato, Nobumasa, Sasaki, Tsukasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety - genetics; Female; Humans; Japan; Linkage Disequilibrium; Male; Neurotic Disorders - genetics; Personality - genetics; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A - genetics; Japan
• ISSN: 0955-8829
• DOI: 10.1097/00041444-200503000-00011

A number of studies have observed associations between the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor and mental disorders. Here, we investigated correlations between polymorphisms (-1438G/A and 102T/C) of the 5-HT2A gene and personality traits in healthy Japanese volunteers (n = 239). The personality traits were evaluated using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). The -1438G/A and 102T/C were in complete linkage disequilibrium. There was a tendency for associations between the genotype and the scores for Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism of the NEO PI-R (P = 0.028, 0.039 and 0.062, respectively; analysis of variance, uncorrected for multiple testing). Subjects with the A/A of -1438G/A (or T/T of 102T/C) appeared to be lower in Neuroticism and higher in Conscientiousness than the rest of the subjects. However, the results were statistically non-significant after Bonferroni's correction for multiple testing of the five scales of the NEO PI-R. Thus, the present study provided no evidence for statistically significant associations between the 5-HT2A polymorphisms and the personality traits.