Association between the serotonin 1A receptor (C-1019)G polymorphism and major depressive disorder in the northern Han ethnic group in China

Background Recent studies have suggested that susceptibility to major depressive disorder (MDD) might be related to the serotonin 1A receptor (5-HTR1A) C(-1019)G polymorphism. In this study, we aimed to assess the association between 5-HTR1A C(-1019)G polymorphism and MDD in the Northern Han ethnic group of China. Methods The C(-1019)G of 5-HTR1A was detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 400 patients with MDD and 400 unrelated age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Association between the C(-1019)G and MDD was statistically analyzed. Results There was a statistically significant difference between MDD patients and controls in both the genotype distribution (X-2=10.913, df=2, P=0.004) and the allele frequency (X-2=10.379, df=1, P=0.001), and a significant difference in the genotype distribution and the allele frequency was found both in the female subjects (Genotype distribution: X-2=15.406, df=2, P=0.000; allele frequency: X-2=15.552, df=1, P=0.000) and the late-onset subjects (Genotype distribution: X-2=7.771, df=2, P=0.021; allele frequency: X-2=8.007, df=1, P=0.005) in the two groups. Conclusion These results suggest that 5-HTR1AC(-1019)G polymorphism is probably associated with MDD and it is likely to be the susceptible gene locus for the female and late-onset MDD.