BACKGROUND: The serotonin transporter (SERT) polymorphism (5HTTLPR) has been reported to be associated with several psychiatric conditions. Specific personality disorders could be intermediate factors in the known relationship between 5HTTLPR and psychiatric disorders. This is the first study to test the association between this polymorphism and dimensions of all DSM-IV personality disorders in a community sample. METHODS: 374 white participants were assessed by clinical psychologists using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Associations between dimensions of each DSM-IV personality disorder and the long (l) and short (s) alleles of the 5HTTLPR were evaluated using non-parametric tests and regression models. RESULTS: The s allele of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism was significantly associated with higher avoidant personality trait scores in the whole sample. Males with the s allele had a significantly lower likelihood of higher obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) trait scores, whereas females with the s allele were likely to have higher OCPD personality trait scores. CONCLUSION: This paper provides preliminary data on the relationship between personality disorders and the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. The relationship of the s allele and avoidant PD is consistent with findings of a nonspecific relationship of this polymorphism to anxiety and depressive disorders. Concerning the unusual sexual dimorphic result with OCPD, several hypotheses are presented. These findings need further replication, including a more detailed study of additional variants in SERT.
BACKGROUND: The serotonin transporter (SERT) polymorphism (5HTTLPR) has been reported to be associated with several psychiatric conditions. Specific personality disorders could be intermediate factors in the known relationship between 5HTTLPR and psychiatric disorders. This is the first study to test the association between this polymorphism and dimensions of all DSM-IV personality disorders in a community sample. METHODS: 374 white participants were assessed by clinical psychologists using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Associations between dimensions of each DSM-IV personality disorder and the long (l) and short (s) alleles of the 5HTTLPR were evaluated using non-parametric tests and regression models. RESULTS: The s allele of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism was significantly associated with higher avoidant personality trait scores in the whole sample. Males with the s allele had a significantly lower likelihood of higher obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) trait scores, whereas females with the s allele were likely to have higher OCPD personality trait scores. CONCLUSION: This paper provides preliminary data on the relationship between personality disorders and the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. The relationship of the s allele and avoidant PD is consistent with findings of a nonspecific relationship of this polymorphism to anxiety and depressive disorders. Concerning the unusual sexual dimorphic result with OCPD, several hypotheses are presented. These findings need further replication, including a more detailed study of additional variants in SERT.
Authors: James S Sutcliffe; Ryan J Delahanty; Harish C Prasad; Jacob L McCauley; Qiao Han; Lan Jiang; Chun Li; Susan E Folstein; Randy D Blakely Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2005-07-01 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: Arif Khan; Amy E Brodhead; Kelly A Schwartz; Russell L Kolts; Walter A Brown Journal: J Clin Psychopharmacol Date: 2005-08 Impact factor: 3.153
Authors: H Ishiguro; T Saito; S Akazawa; H Mitushio; K Tada; M Enomoto; H Mifune; M Toru; H Shibuya; T Arinami Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 1999-07 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: W W Eaton; J C Anthony; A Romanoski; A Tien; J Gallo; G Cai; K Neufeld; T Schlaepfer; J Laugharne; L S Chen Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 1998-12 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: Eva Reinelt; Maren Aldinger; Malte Stopsack; Christian Schwahn; Ulrich John; Sebastian E Baumeister; Hans Jörgen Grabe; Sven Barnow Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2014-01-10 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Ruben Miozzo; William W Eaton; O Joseph Bienvenu; Jack Samuels; Gerald Nestadt Journal: Compr Psychiatry Date: 2020-08-12 Impact factor: 3.735
Authors: Ilona Papousek; Eva M Reiser; Günter Schulter; Andreas Fink; Emily A Holmes; Harald Niederstätter; Simone Nagl; Walther Parson; Elisabeth M Weiss Journal: Emotion Date: 2013-09-16
Authors: Sandra Mohr; Nikola Fritz; Christian Hammer; Cristina Martínez; Sabrina Berens; Stefanie Schmitteckert; Verena Wahl; Malin Schmidt; Lesley A Houghton; Miriam Goebel-Stengel; Maria Kabisch; Dorothea Götze; Irina Milovač; Mauro D'Amato; Tenghao Zheng; Ralph Röth; Hubert Mönnikes; Felicitas Engel; Annika Gauss; Jonas Tesarz; Martin Raithel; Viola Andresen; Thomas Frieling; Jutta Keller; Christian Pehl; Christoph Stein-Thöringer; Gerard Clarke; Paul J Kennedy; John F Cryan; Timothy G Dinan; Eamonn M M Quigley; Robin Spiller; Caroll Beltrán; Ana María Madrid; Verónica Torres; Edith Pérez de Arce; Wolfgang Herzog; Emeran A Mayer; Gregory Sayuk; Maria Gazouli; George Karamanolis; Lejla Kapur-Pojskič; Mariona Bustamante; Raquel Rabionet; Xavier Estivil; André Franke; Wolfgang Lieb; Guy Boeckxstaens; Mira M Wouters; Magnus Simrén; Gudrun A Rappold; Maria Vicario; Javier Santos; Rainer Schaefert; Justo Lorenzo-Bermejo; Beate Niesler Journal: J Cell Mol Med Date: 2021-06-24 Impact factor: 5.310