Association Study of Serotonin Transporter Gene VNTR Polymorphism and Mood Disorders, Onset age and Suicide Attempts in a Chinese Sample

In order to replicate previous findings suggesting a possible relationship between the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene & the pathogenesis of mood disorders, & to determine the association between onset age of bipolar disorder & 5-HTTVNTR, the authors investigated the prevalence of this polymorphism in an independent Chinese population, demonstrating no significant association between the 5-HTTVNTR polymorphism & mood disorders or age at onset, nor between this polymorphism & suicidal history in mood disorder patients. (38 refs)