Abstract
Although modulation of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by serotonergic agents is well established, it is unclear whether an abnormality in the central serotonergic system is involved in its etiology. The serotonin (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT), which is the key modulator of serotonergic neurotransmission, is the target for serotonin reuptake inhibiting drugs (SRIs) that are uniquely effective in the treatment of OCD. In this preliminary study we report an association of a functional polymorphism in the 5-HTT 5′ regulatory-region and OCD. Seventy-five OCD Caucasian patients and 397 ethnically-matched individuals from a non-patient control group were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR. Population-based association analysis revealed that patients with OCD were more likely to carry two copies of the long allele (l) as compared to controls (46.7% vs 32.3%: χ2 = 5.19, P = 0.023). This finding replicates a recent family-based study of this polymorphism in OCD, and thus indicates that the 5-HTTLPR may be associated with susceptibility to OCD.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bengel, D., Greenberg, B., Corá-Locatelli, G. et al. Association of the serotonin transporter promoter regulatory region polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mol Psychiatry 4, 463–466 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000550
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000550
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Is serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) allele status a predictor for obsessive-compulsive disorder? A meta-analysis
Archives of Women's Mental Health (2015)
-
Association of SLC6A4 variants with obsessive-compulsive disorder in a large multicenter US family study
Molecular Psychiatry (2011)
-
Association of the s allele of the 5-HTTLPR with neuroticism-related traits and temperaments in a psychiatrically healthy population
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (2009)
-
Lack of Association Between Down Syndrome and Polymorphisms in Dopamine Receptor D4 and Serotonin Transporter Genes
Neurochemical Research (2008)
-
Molecular Genetics of Monoamine Transporters: Relevance to Brain Disorders
Neurochemical Research (2008)