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Case-control association study of TGOLN2 in attempted suicide
Pamela B Mahon1, Adrian M Stütz, Fayaz Seifuddin
1Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Summary
Genetic studies show a link to suicidal behavior, but common variations in the trans-Golgi network protein 2 (TGOLN2) gene do not appear to significantly increase risk for attempted suicide in mood disorder patients.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Suicidal behavior has a known genetic component, partly linked to psychiatric disorders like mood and substance use disorders.
- Previous studies suggested a susceptibility gene for attempted suicide on chromosome 2p11-12, with the trans-Golgi network protein 2 (TGOLN2) gene implicated due to its altered expression in suicide cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between common genetic variations in the TGOLN2 gene and the risk of attempted suicide in individuals with mood disorders.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study genotyped nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TGOLN2 gene.
- The study included 517 subjects with mood disorders and a history of attempted suicide, and 515 healthy controls.
- Further analyses compared attempted suicide cases with and without a history of alcoholism.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between TGOLN2 SNPs and the attempted suicide phenotype in the primary case-control analysis.
- A preliminary association was observed between eight SNPs and attempted suicide when comparing cases with and without a history of alcoholism, but this did not replicate in an independent sample.
Conclusions:
- Common genetic variations in the TGOLN2 gene do not appear to be a significant risk factor for attempted suicide in individuals with major mood disorders.
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that TGOLN2 plays a major role in the genetic susceptibility to attempted suicide within this population.
