A pilot study on a gene-hormone interaction in female suicide attempts

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2003 Dec;253(6):281-5. doi: 10.1007/s00406-003-0441-6.

Abstract

This one-year naturalistic study included all suicide attempters in a catchment area. In the first published set of analyses, an association between menses and suicide attempts was replicated. According to the polymorphism of the serotonin transporter promoter area, the subjects can be classified as S individuals (s/s or s/l) or L individuals (l/l). In the second published set of analyses, L females appeared protected from suicide attempts since they were underrepresented among female (and not male) attempters. This new, unpublished third set of analyses tested for an interaction between the same polymorphism and low hormonal activity (during menses and menopause). In fertile female attempters, the proportion of L women in the menses (41%, 7/17) was significantly higher than expected in the population (15.5 %) and almost significantly higher than in S female attempters (22%,19/87). L females were also overrepresented in postmenopausal attempters. Despite sample size limitations, this gene-hormone interaction needs to be further investigated in female suicide attempters.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Demography
  • Estradiol / analysis
  • Female
  • Genes / physiology*
  • Hormones / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Menopause / genetics
  • Menopause / metabolism
  • Menstruation / genetics
  • Menstruation / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Phenotype
  • Pilot Projects
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Progesterone / analysis
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Suicide, Attempted*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Hormones
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • SLC6A4 protein, human
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Progesterone
  • Estradiol