Original Paper

Serotonin Receptor 2A Gene Polymorphism (-1438A/G) and Short-Term Treatment Response to Citalopram
Myoung-Jin Choi^a, Rhee-Hun Kang^b, Byung-Joo Ham^c, Han-Yong Jeong^d, Min-Soo Lee<sup>b

a</sup>Pharmacogenomic Research Center for Psychotropic Drugs, Korea University,
^bDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Depression Center and Pharmacogenomic Research Center for Psychotropic Drugs, Korea University,
^cDepartment of Psychiatry, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, and
^dDepartment of Psychiatry, Soon Chun Hyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuropsychobiology 2005;52:155-162 (DOI: 10.1159/000087847)

  Key Words

• Major depressive disorder
• 5-HTR2A promoter polymorphism
• Citalopram
• Antidepressant
• Treatment response

  Abstract

The 5-HTR2A gene is a candidate gene for influencing the clinical response to antidepressant treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the -1438A/G polymorphism in the 5-HTR2A gene and the response to citalopram in a Korean population with major depressive disorder (MDD). Citalopram was administered for 4 weeks to the 71 patients who completed this study. We found significant differences in genotype, allele, and carrier distribution between the normal group and MDD patients (genotypes: ² = 6.473, d.f. = 2, p = 0.039; alleles: ² = 5.589, d.f. = 1, p = 0.018; OR = 0.618, 95% CI = 0.414-0.922; allele carriers: ² = 5.383, d.f. = 1, p = 0.020; OR = 0.473, 95% CI = 0.249-0.879). The frequency of the -1438G allele was much higher in MDD patients than in the normal group (allele carriers: ² = 5.383, d.f. = 1, p = 0.020; OR = 0.473, 95% CI = 0.249-0.879). There were also significant differences in response to citalopram according to the -1438A/G variation of 5-HTR2A in MDD patients. The group of remitters carried a higher frequency of the GG allele than of the AA and AG alleles. More of nonremitters carried the A allele than were without it (genotype: ² = 8.016, p = 0.018; allele carrier: ² = 4.512, p = 0.034; OR = 0.324, 95% CI = 0.112-0.936). The response to citalopram differed with the -1438A/G polymorphism genotype and allele carriers. The -1438G/-1438G genotype appeared to be associated with a better response to citalopram, with especially the G allele being related to core depressive symptoms and psychic anxiety improvement (p<0.05). These results suggest that the G allele of the -1438A/G polymorphism in the 5-HTR2A gene is associated with MDD, and that patients with -1438G/-1438G have a better response to citalopram treatment than patients with -1438A/-1438A or -1438A/-1438G.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Min-Soo Lee
Department of Neuropsychiatry
126-1, 5-Ka, Anam-Dong
Sungbuk-Gu, 135-705 Seoul (Korea)
Tel. +82 2 920 5354, Fax +82 2 923 3507, E-Mail leeminso@korea.ac.kr

  Article Information

M.-J. C. and R.-H. K. contributed equally to the study.

Published online: August 25, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 50