Relationships between serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism, platelet serotonin transporter binding and clinical phenotype in suicidal and non-suicidal adolescent inpatients

Relationships between the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), platelet serotonin transporter (SERT) binding and clinical phenotype were examined in 32 suicidal and 28 non-suicidal Ashkenazi Israeli adolescent psychiatric inpatients. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was not associated with transporter binding or with suicidality or other clinical phenotypes. However, in the suicidal group, a significant positive correlation between platelet SERT density and anger scores (n = 32, r = .40; p = .027) and a negative correlation between platelet count and trait anxiety (n = 32, r = -.42; p = .034) were observed.