The following is a summary of “Serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and escitalopram treatment response in patients with major depressive disorder,” published in the October 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Jarčušková et al.
Genetic factors may predict antidepressant response in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Researchers conducted a prospective study to examine the influence of genetic variants on escitalopram response in patients with MDD.
They recruited patients from outpatient psychiatric clinics in Košice between 2020 and 2022. Patients received 10 mg of escitalopram daily for 12 weeks, with clinical assessments conducted at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-21).
The results showed that, by week 12, 57 patients (65%) were responders to escitalopram, while 31 (35%) were non-responders. Genotyping revealed that carriers of the short allele (S) of 5-HTTLPR had a significantly lower therapeutic response, measured by HAMD-21, than long allele (L) carriers (P=0.01). Adjusting for CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 genotypes did not alter this relationship. No significant associations were found for HTR2A rs9316233 or BDNF rs962369 variants and treatment response.
The study concluded that 5-HTTLPR genotyping may guide escitalopram therapy in patients with MDD, with further research needed.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06162-8#Abs1
