AUTHOR=Kao Chung-Feng , Kuo Po-Hsiu , Yu Younger W.-Y. , Yang Albert C. , Lin Eugene , Liu Yu-Li , Tsai Shih-Jen 

TITLE=Gene-Based Association Analysis Suggests Association of HTR2A With Antidepressant Treatment Response in Depressed Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.559601

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2020.559601

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>The serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Among the 5-HT receptor subtypes, 5-HT2 is one of the major pharmacological therapeutic targets for MDD. There have been inconsistent findings in previous pharmacogenetic studies investigating the antidepressant therapeutic response using one or several 5-HT2A (<italic>HTR2A</italic>) genetic polymorphisms. By using gene-based association analysis, we hope to identify genetic variants of <italic>HTR2A</italic> which are related to MDD susceptibility and its antidepressant therapeutic response. 288 <italic>HTR2A</italic> single nucleotide polymorphisms in MDD susceptibility have been investigated through a case–control (455 MDD patients and 2, 998 healthy controls) study, as well as in antidepressant efficacy (<italic>n</italic> = 455) in our current research. The 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was used to evaluate measures of antidepressant therapeutic efficacy. From two MDD groups in the antidepressant therapeutic response, by using gene-based analyses, we have identified 14 polymorphisms as suggestive markers for therapeutic response (13 for remission and 1 for response) in both meta- and mega-analyses. All of these <italic>HTR2A</italic> reported polymorphisms did not reach statistical significance in the case–control association study. This current investigation supported the link between <italic>HTR2A</italic> variants and antidepressant therapeutic response in MDD but not with MDD susceptibility.</p>