Citation

Gaisina D. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 32.

Affiliation

Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Scientific Center, RAS, 71, Octyabrya avenue, 450054 Ufa, Russia. (dgaisina@mail.ru)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963885

Abstract

Since the middle of the 1990s the aim of molecular genetic studies of suicidal behavior has been to identify the candidate genes responsible for this complex and multifactorial trait. The majority of association studies has been focused on several serotonin-related genes and has controversial results. Meta-analyses suggest small positive association between the promoter polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), the intronic polymorphism in the tryptophan hydroxylase 1 gene (TPH A218C) and suicidal behavior. There are some new approaches to find the answer to the question how genes can increase the probability of suicidal behavior in individual persons. One of them involves understanding of interaction of genes with each other (epistasis) and with environmental factors during the development of suicidal process. Another approach is to identify new positional candidate genes of suicidal behavior using genome-wide linkage studies. It is likely, that usage of the precise phenotypes of suicidal behavior (from suicidal ideation to complete suicide) and/or intermediate phenotypes (impulsivity, anxiety, etc.) can help to reach the progress in identifying of genes to speed up or slow down the suicidal process.

Language: en