Childhood socioeconomic status and serotonin transporter gene polymorphism enhance cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that low socioeconomic status (SES) and the 5HTTLPR L allele are associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stress in a larger sample and that SES and 5HTTLPR genotypes interact to enhance CVR to stress. CVR to mental stress has been proposed as one mechanism linking stress to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The more transcriptionally efficient long (L) allele of a polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene promoter (5HTTLPR) has been found associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction.

Subcellular localization of spastin: implications for the pathogenesis of hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases characterized by neuronal degeneration that is maximal at the distal ends of the longest axons of the central nervous system. The most common cause of autosomal dominant HSP is mutation of a novel gene encoding spastin, a protein whose function is still being elucidated. One clue concerning spastin function is its intracellular localization.

Influence of serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphisms on hippocampal volumes in late-life depression.

Context: Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) influence transcription and may play a role in the pathogenesis and course of depression. Recent research demonstrates that specific polymorphisms may be associated with differences in hippocampal volumes in subjects with depression.

Objective: To examine associations between 5-HTTLPR genotype and hippocampal volumes in elderly control subjects and elderly subjects classified as having early or late onset of depression.