ABCB1 gene polymorphisms and violent suicide attempt among survivors

• Published in: Journal of psychiatric research Vol. 61; pp. 52 - 56
• Main Authors: Peñas-Lledó, E, Guillaume, S, Delgado, A, Naranjo, M.E.G, Jaussent, I, LLerena, A, Courtet, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: ABCB1; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family B - genetics; Female; Haplotypes; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Genetic; Psychiatrics and mental health; Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Suicide attempt; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Survivors - psychology; Violence - psychology; Violent suicide methods; Young Adult; Violent suicide methods; ABCB1; Suicide attempt
• ISSN: 0022-3956; 1879-1379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.12.005

Abstract Introduction Those suicide attempters that choose violent methods dramatically diminish the possibility of survival. Completed suicide using violent means, which is common among first-time suicide attempters, was recently found to be more likely among T allele carriers in the three most common ABCB1 SNPs, encoding for P-gp. Thus, this study examined, for the first time, whether these ABCB1 SNPs were associated with the use of violent means among survivors of a suicide attempt. Material and methods Suicide attempters (n = 578, 87.4% women; of whom 16.6% committed a violent intent) were genotyped for exonic SNPs in the ABCB1 (C1236T, G2677T/A, C3435T). The relations of the three genotypes and of the TTT haplotype with the use of a violent suicide method were evaluated separately. The impact of confounds on these variables was controlled. Results A higher frequency ( p  = 0.02) of suicide attempters using violent methods was found among those carrying the ABCB1 haplotype (1236TT-2677TT-3435TT). Since gender and number of previous suicide attempts were identified as confounds, the relation was tested in the subset of women who were first-time attempters or second- and more-time attempters. The ABCB1 haplotype increased the risk more than three times in those women attempting a violent suicide for the first time (OR = 3.6; CI95%: 1.08–12.09; p  = 0.04). Discussion The ABCB1 haplotype (1236TT-2677TT-3435TT) was related to the use of a violent suicide attempt method. Genotyping for these three ABCB1 SNPs may be helpful to detect people at risk of first suicide intents using violent methods.