Abstract
A number of molecular genetic studies have investigated if serotonin (5βHT) receptor subtypes are involved in the pathogenesis of depression, suicidal behavior, aggression, and impulsive behavior. Existence of many receptor subtypes for a single transmitter permits a great diversity of signaling raising the possibility that they may serve as genetic markers for suicidal behavior. Most previous studies of suicide have analyzed polymorphisms of the receptors 5βHT~1A~, 5βHT~1B~, 5βHT~2A~, fewer have examined 5βHT~1F~. We report a study of possible association between the polymorphisms in the 5βHT receptor genes (1A, 1B, 1F, and 2A) and suicidal behavior on a sample of 226 suicide victims and 225 healthy control subjects. No significant differences in genotype frequency distributions between the suicide victims and healthy control subjects were observed for four polymorphisms; three were not polymorphic. A single polymorphism, Cβ1420T in gene 5βHT~2A~, showed a slight association with suicide (Ο^2^β=β4.94, dfβ=β2, Pβ=β0.067), but the correlation was not statistically significant. None of the tested genetic variants of serotonin receptors appears to be associated with suicidal behavior in the Slovenian population which has a relatively high suicide rate. Β© 2006 WileyβLiss, Inc.