Serotonin Transporter Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and Citalopram Effectiveness in Iranian Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have implicated the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in treatment outcomes of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in patients with major depression. The aim of this study was to examine the association between polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene and citalopram effectiveness in Iranian patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: The sample consisted of 104 patients, with Fars ethnic background, who were diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Beck Depression inventory was used to evaluate the severity of the symptoms during the follow-up, and to determine clinical response of the patients at 4th and 8th week, respectively. RESULTS: Our results showed a correlation between the genotype and response to antidepressant drug citalopram, (odds ratios for L/S and L/L were 3.90 (95 percent CI: 1.29- 11.80) and 1.90 (95 percent CI: 0.72-5.08), respectively). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our results reveal that genetic variation of serotonin transporter is involved in clinical remission of major depressive episodes in Iranian patients after citalopram treatment.

The spectrum of GJB2 mutations in the Iranian population with non-syndromic hearing loss--a twelve year study.

OBJECTIVE: Mutations in GJB2, encoding connexin 26 (CX26), are causally related to autosomal recessive form of non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) at the DFNB1 locus and autosomal dominant NSHL at the DFNA3 locus. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of GJB2 mutations in the Iranian deaf population. METHODS: A total of 2322 deaf probands presenting the ethnically diverse Iranian population were screened for variants in GJB2. All persons were first screened for the c.35delG mutation, as this variant is the most prevalent GJB2-deafness causing mutation in the Iranian population. In all persons carrying zero or one c.35delG allele, exons 1 and 2 were then sequenced. RESULTS: In total, 374 (~16%) families segregated GJB2-related deafness caused by 45 different mutations and 5 novel variants. The c.35delG mutation was most commonly identified and accounts for ~65% of the GJB2 mutations found in population studied. CONCLUSION: Our data also show that there is a gradual decrease in the frequency of the c.35delG mutation and of GJB2-related deafness in general in a cline across Iran extending from the northwest to southeast.