1. ¹Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
2. ²Institute for Nutritional sciences, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
3. ³NHGG Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China

Correspondence: Professor L He, Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Hao Ran Building, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai 200030, China; or Institute for Nutritional Sciences, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 294 Taiyuan Road, Shanghai 200031, China. E-mails: helin@sjtu.edu.cn; helinhelin@gmail.com

Received 6 April 2006; Revised 25 May 2006; Accepted 26 May 2006; Published online 12 September 2006.

Abstract

Suicidal behavior, which ranks among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, is an important public-health problem and a psychiatric disorder, which has been the subject of considerable study. Studies have shown association between the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and suicidal behavior, although a proportion of alternative studies have produced contrary results both in terms of positive and negative findings, possibly reflecting inadequate statistical power and the use of different populations. Using the cumulative data from recent years in both European and, more particularly, Asian populations, this updated meta-analysis seeks to examine whether the aggregate data provide evidence of statistical significance, and to clarify the contradictory findings suggested by previous studies. It covers all published studies using multiple research methods up to January 2006. Compared with a previous meta-analysis, which found no association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and suicidal behavior (P=0.38), the current results (39 studies) suggest a significant association with a P-value of 0.0068 (overall odds ratio=0.88 (0.8,0.97)), and supports the involvement of the brain 5-HTT in the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior.