Association between serotonin transporter promoter polymorphisms and psychological distress in a diabetic population

Investigations into serotonin transporter and anxiety and depression have shown an association between stress, depression onset and genotype. We investigated the relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotype and depression and anxiety in a population with diabetes mellitus, a condition associated with high rates of stress and depression. Participants were classified according to 'S' and 'L' alleles as well as the modification of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs25531. The 5-HTTLPR low-expression genotype group (S or LG allele carriers) had significantly higher psychological distress (K10) scores (N=234, P=0.047). Subsequent analysis revealed that the effect of genotype was related to anxiety symptoms rather than depression symptoms. Furthermore, the main effect of genotype was not observed when the modification of the SNP polymorphism was not taken into account. Findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype is associated with psychological distress in a sample of subjects with diabetes.