Serotonin transporter and G protein beta 3 subunit gene polymorphisms in Greeks with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter (SERT) and G protein ß3 subunit (GNB3) genes might contribute to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Association studies of SERT and GNB3 polymorphisms and IBS have shown diverse results among different populations, which might be due to subject composition differences. AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess the potential association between SERT and GNB3 polymorphisms and IBS in Greeks. METHODS: A total of 124 patients with IBS diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria and 238 healthy individuals were included in the study. SERT and GNB3 gene polymorphisms were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-based methods. RESULTS: It was shown that the frequencies of the SS genotype and S allele of the serotonin transporter polymorphism were significantly associated with IBS (P = 0.0314 and P = 0.019, respectively). TT genotype and T allele frequencies of G protein ß3 subunit showed also significant difference between the IBS patients and healthy controls IBS (P = 0.0163 and P = 0.0001, respectively). None of the clinical symptoms analyzed was significantly associated with the polymorphisms tested. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that SERT and GNB3 gene polymorphisms might be associated with irritable bowel syndrome predisposition in Greeks.