Association of serotonin transporter gene variation with smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its depressive symptoms

A serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4, is thought to be related to nicotine dependence and depression, one of the comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To investigate the association between SLC6A4 variation and tobacco consumption, susceptibility to COPD, and depression status. In all, 247 patients with COPD and 119 control subjects were genotyped for 5 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SLC6A4. We analyzed the correlation between these genotypes and COPD, using the results of a pulmonary function test or chest computed tomography; data on tobacco consumption (pack-years); and the depression score based on the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) after adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status (and pack-years, when appropriate). The rare allele rs2020936 was significantly associated with COPD incidence in the trend model (P = 0.003; odds ratio, 2.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-3.74). This allele was also associated with the number of pack-years (P = 0.026). The major allele of another SNP of SLC6A4, namely rs3794808, correlated with the HADS depression score (P = 0.016). We conclude that SLC6A4 variation affects COPD pathogenesis, and this effect depends partly on tobacco consumption. SLC6A4 variation also affects depressive symptoms. SLC6A4 could be modified to prevent COPD and treat the depressive symptoms of COPD.