Trio study and meta-analysis support the association of genetic variation at the serotonin transporter with early-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder

Despite compelling evidence for major genetic contributions to the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), few genetic variants have been consistently associated with this debilitating illness. Molecular genetic studies in children and adolescents with OCD are of particular interest, since early onset of the disease has been observed to be associated with increased familiality. We replicate here for the first time in early-onset OCD patients, a previously reported association of OCD with the common gain-of-function LA allele at the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region known as 5-HTTLPR in a collection of parent-offspring trios. The present meta-analysis of this recently refined serotonin transporter gene variant revealed further support for the LA allele conferring increased genetic susceptibility to OCD. We conclude that the 5-HTTLPR is currently the single best supported risk variant for OCD, in regards of early-onset OCD, albeit of modest effect size and the possibility that the conferred risk might not be specific to OCD.