The relationship between the response to risperidone treatment and 5-HT2A receptor gene (T102C And 1438G/A) polymorphism in schizophrenia

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between treatment response to risperidone, an antipsychotic, and 1438 G/A and T102C polymorphism of 5-HT2A receptor gene.

Method: All patients were evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS), and the assessment of positive symptoms (SAPS). Assessment with the BPRS, SANS, and SAPS scales were evaluated at each interview (days- 0, 60). Our sample was composed of 63 unrelated subjects who strictly met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and all were of Turkish origin.

Results: The patients who had homozygous for T/T genotype was found to give better response to risperidone treatment than the patients who were C/C and C/T genotypes with respect to their SANS and BPRS scores (x2=10.61, p=0.005; x2=5.99, p=0.05). Similarly the patients who had homozygous for A/A genotype was found to give better response to risperidone treatment than the patients who had G/A and G/G genotypes with respect to SANS and BPRS scores (x2=11.58, p=0.003; x2=6.59, p=0.037). No significant difference was found between the treatment response according and 1438 G/A and T102C polymorphisms of 5-HT2A receptor gene with respect to the SAPS scores (p> 0.05).

Conclusions: T102C and 1438G/A polymorphisms of 5-HT2A receptor gene can be used as markers in the prediction of responses to risperidone treatment in schizophrenic patients. Further clinical studies in the investigation of the relationship between the response to atypical antipsychotic agents and the genotypes of T102C and 1438 G/A polymorphisms of 5-HT2A receptor gene in schizophrenic patients are needed.