No Association between 5-HTTLPR and Harm Avoidance in Korean College Students

There have been numerous studies on the association between 5-HTTLPR (polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene) and anxietyrelated personality traits, with conflicting results. In this study, we administered Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (K-TCI) to a sample of 158 Korean college students and genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR in order to compare the TCI dimensional scores including harm avoidance according to the 5-HTTLPR genotype and sex. We could not find the association between 5-HTTLPR and harm avoidance and other TCI measures. Considering known allele frequencies differences of 5-HTTLPR among different ethnic groups, further cross-cultural studies with a larger sample would be needed.