The norepinephrine transporter gene is associated with the retardation symptoms of major depressive disorder in the Han Chinese population

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 7; no. 25; pp. 1985 - 1991
• Main Authors: Li, Xinrong, Sun, Ning, Xu, Yong, Wang, Yanfang, Li, Suping, Du, Qiaorong, Peng, Juyi, Luo, Jinxiu, Zhang, Kerang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi Province, China%Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi Province, China 05.09.2012; Nursing College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi Province, China; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Clinical Practice; 中国汉族人群; 单核苷酸多态性; 危险因素; 去甲肾上腺素; 抑郁症; 症状; 蛋白基因; 转运体; pathogenesis; major depressive disorder; single nucleotide polymorphism; retardation symptoms; endophenotype; gene polymorphism; quantitative trait locus; Norepinephrine transporter; Hamilton Depression Scale
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.25.010

The norepinephrine transporter plays an important role in the pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder. Consequently, the norepinephrine transporter gene is an attractive candidate in major depressive disorder research. In the present study, we evaluated the depression symptoms of subjects with major depressive disorder, who were all from the North of China and of Hart Chinese origin, using the Hamilton Depression Scale. We examined the relationship between two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the norepinephrine transporter, rs2242446 and rs5569, and the retardation symptoms of major depressive disorder using quantitative trait testing with the UNPHASED program, rs5569 was associated with depressed mood, and the GG genotype may be a risk factor for this; rs2242446 was associated with work and interest, and the TT genotype may be a risk factor for loss of interest. Our findings suggest that rs2242446 and rs5569 in the norepinephrine transporter gene are associated with the retardation symptoms of depression in the Hart Chinese population.