Association of the 5-HT5A Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Citalopram Response in Korean Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

OBJECTIVES: Some reports have suggested that 5-HT5A polymorphism allelic association was associated with depression, however, there has been no report about relationship between the 5-HT5A gene and antidepressant response. We conducted the association study of the 5-HT5A receptor gene polymorphisms (-19G/C,12A/T) and response to citalopram in Korean patients with major depressive disorder(MDD). METHODS: A total of 106 patients with major depressive disorder were included in this study. The patient's symptoms were measured by 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD) at baseline, week 1, week 2, week 4 and week 8 during citalopram treatment. A Responder to citalopram was defined by 50% reduction of total HAMD scores. To analyze genetic polymorphisms, a polymerase chain reaction based method was used. RESULTS: At week 8, responders were 62, non-responders were 44. No significant differences of genotypes or allelic association in 19G/C and 12A/T polymorphisms were observed between responsive and non-responsive patients. CONCLUSION: These results do not support the hypothesis that this polymorphism of the HT5A receptor gene is involved in the therapeutic response to citalopram.

A Study of Personality Factor and Defense Mechanism in Panic Disorder Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and relationship with depression and social disability. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 35 panic disorder patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism, Beck Depression Inventory and Sheehan Disability Scale. Statistics employed for the analyses were Pearson correlation and independent sample t-test. RESULTS: In personality factors and defense mechanisms, there were no definitely abnormal range of scores. But, among personality factors, tension/anxiety factor scored high and unstableness/stableness, shyness/boldness and praxernia/atunia were in low range of score. In defense mechanism, somaticzation and acting-out scored high and humor, suppression, altruism, avoidance and rationalization scored low. The mean BDI score was 18.25+/-9.97. The mean score of SDS were 4.88+/-3.11 in work category and 4.57+/-2.92 in social/leasure category. Male patients were significantly correlated with guit-proneness and atuia in personality factor and passive- aggressiveness, projection, denial and show-off in defense mechanism, compared with female patients (p<0.05). The patients' age was correlated with low intelligence in persolity factor and dissociation and anticipation in defense mechanism. It was negatively correlated with show-off (p<0.05). The BDI score was correlated with low intelligence, superego, unstableness, self-conflict, high superego and atunia in personality factor and dissociation and somatization in defense mechanism (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between BDI score and SDS work category (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Panic disorder patients show high score of tension/anxiety factor and they frequently use neurotic defense style like somatization. The depressive symptom, which depends on symptom severity, appears to have influence on work category and to cause social disability.