Serotonin transporter S/S SLC6A4

Recently it has been suggested that serotonin transporter ( SLC6A4 ) and its 5HTTLPR polymorphism could be involved in post stroke recovery. Here, we characterized the methylation profile of two different CpG islands within the SLC6A4 promoter region in the whole blood of 50 patients with subacute stroke before and after a six-week rehabilitation treatment. These patients were genotyped for 5HTTLPR polymorphism identifying patients on the basis of short (S) and L (L) alleles: 17 patients LL, 22 patients LS and 11 patients SS...

BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial disease with a genetic predisposition. Serotonin and its receptors are involved in antipsychotic-drug-induced metabolic disorders. The present study investigated the association of nine polymorphisms in the four 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor ( HTR ) genes HTR1A , HTR2A , HTR3A , and HTR2C and the gene encoding for the serotonin transporter SLC6A4 with MetS in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A set of nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms of genes of the serotonergic system was investigated in a population of 475 patients from several Siberian regions (Russia) with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia...

INTRODUCTION: A functional tandem repeat polymorphism in the promoter of the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene (SLC6A4) has been studied for association to neuropsychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. Short (S) forms of this repeat result in reduced transcription, and presumably greater synaptic levels of serotonin, which are involved in opioid and cocaine-induced reward. Dual exposure to heroin and cocaine is a common pattern of poly-drug use and is associated with considerable morbidity...

SLC6A4, which encodes the serotonin transporter, has a functional polymorphism called the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR). The 5-HTTLPR consists of short (S) and long (L) alleles, each of which has 14 or 16 tandem repeats. In addition, the extralong (XL) and other rare alleles have been reported in 5-HTTLPR. Although they are more frequent in Asian and African than in other populations, the extent of variations and allele frequencies (AFs) were not addressed in a large population...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is yet to be delineated clearly. Serotonin, a monoamine neurotransmitter, resides primarily in the gut and plays a vital role in GI system. However, no study has been documented the role of serotonin and serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) polymorphism in the development of GI symptoms in T2DM patients. METHODS: Three hundred diabetes patients attending diabetes clinic at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, and matched healthy controls were enrolled for this study...

The serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), 5-HT2A (HTR2A) and 5-HT2B (HTR2B) recepter genes, express proteins that are important regulators of serotonin reuptake and signaling, and thereby may contribute to the pathogenesis of aggressive criminal behavior. 370 sentenced murderers in Pakistani prisons and 359 men without any history of violence or criminal delinquency were genotyped for six candidate polymorphisms in SLC6A4, HTR2A and HTR2B genes. An association of higher expressing L/L and LA /LA variants of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was observed with homicidal behavior (bi-allelic: OR = 1...

BACKGROUND: Children born prematurely (<37 gestational weeks) are at risk for a variety of adverse medical events. They may experience ischemic and/or hemorrhagic events leading to negative neural sequelae. They are also exposed to repeated stressful experiences as part of life-saving care within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These experiences have been associated with methylation of SLC6A4, a gene which codes for serotonin transport proteins, and is associated with anxiety, depression, and increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders...

Serotonin is a highly conserved and ubiquitous signaling molecule involved in a vast variety of biological processes. A majority of serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal epithelium, where it is suggested to act as a prominent regulatory molecule in the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Extracellular and circulating serotonin levels are thought to be elevated during intestinal inflammation, but the underlying mechanisms have been poorly understood. The data on human material are limited, contradictory, and in need of further investigation and substantiating...

BACKGROUND: The human serotonin transporter (SERT) gene polymorphism (5HTTLPR) has been associated with multiple psychiatric disorders, including major depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. This study investigated the association between 5HTTLPR and psychiatric morbidity and comorbidity in a psychiatrist-examined population sample. METHODS: 628 participants, mean age 48.3 years old, were assessed by psychiatrists using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a form of pervasive developmental disorder manifested by impairment in social interactions and repetitive behaviors. Although genetic contribution is strongly suspected in autism, the specific genetic factors remain unidentified. Hyperserotoninemia has been reported in some autistic patients, and several studies have demonstrated an association between 5-hydroxytryptamine-transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms and rs25531 single nucleotide polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (solute carrier family 6 member 4; SLC6A4) and ASD, indicating a possible involvement of the serotonin system in the etiology of ASD...

DNA methylation analysis is increasingly used in stress research. Available methods are expensive, laborious and often limited by either the analysis of short CpG stretches or low assay sensitivity. Here, we present a cost-efficient next generation sequencing-based strategy for the simultaneous investigation of multiple candidate genes in large cohorts. To illustrate the method, we present analysis of four candidate genes commonly assessed in psychoneuroendocrine research: Glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), Serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), FKBP Prolyl isomerase 5 (FKBP5), and the Oxytocin receptor (OXTR)...

BACKGROUND: The short (s) allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the promoter region of the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene SLC6A4 has previously been associated with anxiety-related personality dimensions. However, this relationship has not been confirmed in all studies and may be modified by environmental circumstances and/or psychiatric illness. This study examined whether the temperamental trait sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), characterized by increased responsivity to environmental stimuli, is related to 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype...

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations in the serotonin system are related to changes in eating behavior. The serotonin transporter is encoded by the SLC6A4 gene and has been an interesting candidate for anorexia nervosa- restrictive type (AN-R) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Interestingly, functional variants have been identified in the coding region that could contribute to understand the role of this gene in eating disorders. The aim was to identify genetic variants in five exons of SLC6A4 gene using Sanger-sequencing in anorexia nervosa-restrictive and bulimia nervosa patients, and a control group...

Previous studies have highlighted interactions between serotonergic systems and adverse early life experience as important gene x environment determinants of risk of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Evidence suggests that mice deficient in Tph2, the rate-limiting enzyme for brain serotonin synthesis, display disruptions in behavioral phenotypes relevant to stress-related psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to determine how maternal separation in wild-type, heterozygous, and Tph2 knockout mice affects mRNA expression of serotonin-related genes...

Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is beneficial for treatment-resistant patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The serotonin transporter gene ( SLC6A4 ) may be associated with OCD. We aimed to determine whether SLC6A4 impacts the beneficial effects of rTMS in patients with OCD treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Methods: Fifty-seven untreated patients with OCD were randomly assigned to receive active or sham rTMS in a 4-week double-blind study...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the association of gene variations of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and the serotonin transporter solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4) gene with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and coping strategies in patients with war related PTSD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 747 individuals who had experienced war trauma in the South Eastern Europe conflicts between 1991 and 1999. Genotyping of the MAOA VNTR and SLC6A4 tandem repeat polymorphism in combination with rs25531 was done in 719 participants: 232 females and 487 males...

BACKGROUND: The low-expressive short (S) allele of a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) within the serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine; 5-HT) transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been associated with a reduced functioning of the brain 5-HT system relative to the long (L) allele. As a consequence, the S-allele is found to predispose individuals to a higher risk of sleep quality reduction and clinical insomnia. AIMS: The present study investigated whether subchronic pre-sleep tryptophan administration could compensate for this predisposition by improving sleep in 5-HTTLPR S-allele carriers...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that shift work tolerance may be associated with individual factors including genetic variability in the gene encoding the serotonin transporter 5-HTT (SLC6A4). The present study aimed to explore the interaction between work schedule (shift work versus non-shift work), genetic variability in SLC6A4 and insomnia symptoms. METHODS: The study was based on a national probability sample survey of 987 Norwegian employees drawn from The Norwegian Central Employee Register by Statistics Norway...

BACKGROUND: Marital separation and divorce are stressful life transitions associated with increased risk for a range of poor mental and physical health outcomes. A key task for research in this area is to identify individual differences that may index risk for these adverse outcomes. PURPOSE: To examine the association between DNA methylation across the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and self-reported emotional distress following marital separation. METHODS: Genomic DNA methylation (from buffy coat fractions of whole blood) was quantified in a sample of 47 adults following a recent marital separation; concurrent with the blood draw, participants completed questionnaires on their psychological adjustment to the separation experience...

Epigenetic signatures, such as DNA methylation (DNAM ), have been implicated in long-term dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and related health risks. Based on a wealth of neuroendocrine studies on genetic polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), this locus constitutes a key candidate to explore associations of DNAM patterns and HPA-axis functioning. The few studies addressing this link so far exclusively relied on spot measurements of HPA-axis activity, which may not adequately reflect cortisol output over prolonged periods of time...