No association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and personality traits

Human family and twin studies have established considerable heritable compo nents in personality traits as assessed by self-report questionnaires. Rece ntly, an association between a functional polymorphism in the upstream regu latory region of the serotonin transporter gene and neuroticism-related per sonality traits was reported. Two different serotonin transporter polymorph isms including the previously associated variant were genotyped in two samp les of healthy Swedish subjects (n = 127 and n = 178, respectively) assesse d with the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) inventory. No statistical ly significant association between serotonin transporter polymorphisms and any of the eight neuroticism-related KSP scales was found. Thus, the previo usly reported association between serotonin transporter alleles and neuroti cism-related personality traits could not be replicated in the present stud y. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 88:439-436, 1999, (C) 1999 W iley-Liss, Inc.