ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Genes involved in the serotonin system are major candidates in association studies of suicidal behavior. In this case-control study we investigated whether the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene encoding the protein responsible for the reuptake of serotonin from the synapse after its release from serotonergic neurons is a susceptibility factor for suicidal behavior. METHODS: A functional polymorphism of the 5-HTT gene (a 44-base pair insertion/deletion in the 5-HTT-linked polymorphic region [5-HTTLPR]) was studied in a population of 237 consecutive patients with affective disorder (unipolar or bipolar) and 187 control subjects. Ninety-nine patients had attempted suicide at least once, of whom 26 made a violent attempt. RESULTS: No association was found between the "s" allele of the 5-HTTLPR and suicide attempt; however, there was a significant difference in allele distributions between patients who had made violent suicide attempts and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic variant of the 5-HTT gene may predispose individuals to violent suicidal behavior. The precise phenotype associated with the 5-HTT gene is unclear, and therefore further studies are required to replicate these findings.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/genetics , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics , Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics , Membrane Transport Proteins , Mood Disorders/genetics , Nerve Tissue Proteins , Serotonin/genetics , Suicide/psychology , Violence/psychology , Adult , Alleles , Female , Gene Expression , Humans , Male , Polymorphism, Genetic , Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics , Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsSubject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/genetics , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics , Membrane Transport Proteins , Nerve Tissue Proteins , Serotonin/metabolism , Adult , Cloning, Molecular , Female , Humans , Male , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Polymorphism, Genetic , Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins , Suicide/psychologyABSTRACT
The usefulness of the detection of 14-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmitted from human growth hormone was evaluated in 20 French patients. The 14-3-3 protein was rarely detectable within the first 3 months of the disease but always positive after 7 months associated with the aggravation of the disease and the occurrence of dementia. 14-3-3 detection was not predictive of the survival time of the patients. The genotype at PRNP codon 129 could influence the timing of appearance of the 14-3-3 protein in the CSF.