The Open Psychiatry Journal

2009, 3 : 9-12
Published online 2009 April 20. DOI: 10.2174/1874354400903010009
Publisher ID: TOPJ-3-9

Suicidal Behavior and the Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) with Novel Subtypes, in Danish Schizophrenic Patients

August G. Wang , Henrik B. Rasmussen , Holger J. Sørensen , Marianne Hvid , Claus Breddam , Bjarne Hansen , Vibeke Høg Bille , Ole Garsdal , Anne Sophie Jacoby , Karen Søeby , Henrik Dam , Lasse Krogsbøll , Sally Timm and Thomas Werge
University Department of Psychiatry, H:S Amager Hospital, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark.

ABSTRACT

Background: Literature reports a genetic component for suicidal behavior, especially of determinant/violent type. One of the candidates has been the polymorphism 5-HTTLPR in the serotonin promoter. Employing a between group design, we wished to test the association between suicidal behavior and serotonin-related polymorphisms.

Method: 350 Danish patients with average 14 years’ duration of illness and with well researched history of suicidal behavior participated. Three groups were identified: 1. without suicidal behavior, 2. with suicidal behavior of nondeterminant/ non-violent methods, and 3. suicidal behavior with determinant/violent methods. We used the common alleles S and L as well as the new aspect with allelic subtypes SA, SG, LA.LG to constitute 3 functional genotypes: SS, SL and LL. We also included duration of illness, age at onset and sex in our study as potential covariates.

Results: We tested suicidal behavior types 2 and 3 versus type 1 for distribution differences as well as for possible trend. We did not find any statistical significant relations.

Conclusions: We could not find support for a relevant relation between the polymorphisms in the serotonin promoter and suicidal behavior in our schizophrenic patient sample.

Keywords:

Suicidal behavior, genetics, schizophrenia.