Relationships between serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism, platelet serotonin transporter binding and clinical phenotype in suicidal and non-suicidal adolescent inpatients

• Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission Vol. 112; no. 2; pp. 309 - 315
• Main Authors: Zalsman, G, Anderson, G M, Peskin, M, Frisch, A, King, R A, Vekslerchik, M, Sommerfeld, E, Michaelovsky, E, Sher, L, Weizman, A, Apter, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Austria Springer Nature B.V 01.02.2005
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anger - physiology; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Hospitals, University; Humans; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Phenotype; Pilot Projects; Polymorphism, Genetic - genetics; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Protein Binding - physiology; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Suicide
• ISSN: 0300-9564; 1435-1463
• DOI: 10.1007/s00702-004-0244-6

Relationships between the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), platelet serotonin transporter (SERT) binding and clinical phenotype were examined in 32 suicidal and 28 non-suicidal Ashkenazi Israeli adolescent psychiatric inpatients. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was not associated with transporter binding or with suicidality or other clinical phenotypes. However, in the suicidal group, a significant positive correlation between platelet SERT density and anger scores (n=32, r=.40; p=.027) and a negative correlation between platelet count and trait anxiety (n=32, r=-.42; p=.034) were observed.