A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of monoamine oxidase-A gene and mood disorders

A polymorphism of a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), that was recently found in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) gene, was s hown to be associated with its transcriptional activity, This study examine d whether this functional polymorphism of the MAOA gene is associated with the risk of developing mood disorders in a Japanese sample of 161 patients with bipolar disorder, 98 with unipolar depression, and 258 controls. There was no significant genotypic or allelic association, suggesting that the f unctional VNTR polymorphism in the MAOA gene is unlikely to play a major ro le in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder or unipolar depression. Furtherm ore, we found no association between the polymorphism and a history of suic ide attempt.