ABSTRACT
Background: Serotonin plays a central role regulating mood and on the development of depressive disorders. Aim: To study whether 5HTTLPR functional polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene or the Monoamine oxidase A gene (uMAOA) were risk markers for depression. Material and Methods: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was applied to 1,062 consultants in primary health care centers aged between 18 and 75 years to establish the diagnosis of depression. A sample of saliva was obtained for DNA extraction and genetic analyses. Results: No association between the presence of depressive disorders and 5HTTLPR (ss) or uMAOA (3/3) risk genotypes was found. Psychological abuse and the presence of two or more life events were found to be predictors of depression in the studied sample. Conclusions: In this study, 5HTTLPR and uMAOA polymorphisms were not risk factors for depression. However, psychological abuse and the presence of two or more life events were risk factors for depressive disorders.