Lack of association between the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and personality traits in asymptomatic patients with panic disorder

The serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been investigated regarding its association with neuroticism, which, in its turn, is a personality dimension often found in patients with panic disorder (PD). It has been recently evidenced that the long 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has a genetic variation (Lg), which is related to its lower expression. The objective of this study was to assess the association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the triallelic system and the neurotic personality traits in patients in PD remission. Sixty-seven Caucasian patients with PD diagnosis according to the DSM-IV-TR assessed with the MINI (mini international neuropsychiatric interview) were included. The MMPI (Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory) was used to assess the personality. The remission of PD symptoms was defined as CGI (clinical global impression)