Citation

Abbar M, Courtet P, Amadéo S, Caer Y, Mallet J, Baldy-Moulinier M, Castelnau D, Malafosse A. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 1995; 52(10): 846-849.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Montpellier-Nimes, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, American Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7575104

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the tryptophan hydroxylase gene (ie, the gene that codes for the rate-limiting enzyme in the metabolic pathway of serotonin) may be a susceptibility factor for suicidal behavior. METHODS: Genotypic and allelic frequencies at a polymorphic Ava II restriction site were revealed with the use of the complementary DNA tryptophan hydroxylase probe C2-38 in 62 suicide attempters. The psychiatric characteristics of these suicide attempters were determined using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime version with modification for the study of anxiety disorders, and these characteristics were compared with those in 52 healthy controls. RESULTS: No association between tryptophan hydroxylase and suicidal behavior was detected. CONCLUSION: The tryptophan hydroxylase gene was not a susceptibility factor for suicidal behaviors in the group of suicide attempters in this study.

Language: en