Predictive factors for responding to sertraline treatment: views from plasma catecholamine metabolites and serotonin transporter polymorphism

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the effects of sertraline on plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in 59 depressed patients treated with sertraline. We also examined the relationship between the dynamics of the catecholamine metabolites, BDNF, serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) gene polymorphism (long and short alleles), and the clinical response to sertraline. The extent of clinical improvement was evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D) before and 8 weeks after treatment with sertraline. Responders were defined as showing at least a 50% decrease in the Ham-D score. Baseline plasma HVA levels of responders to sertraline treatment were significantly lower than those of non-responders (p = 0.02). In addition, a positive correlation was identified between changes in plasma HVA levels and the rate of response to sertraline treatment (p = 0.001). A trend toward higher baseline serum BDNF levels was found in responders compared with non-responders (p = 0.095). In addition, serum BDNF levels were slightly increased (not significant) in responders (p = 0.058), but not in non-responders. Responders had a higher short-allele genotype frequency in the 5-HTTLPR for the promoter region than did non-responders (p = 0.037). These results suggest that pre-treatment plasma HVA levels and the 5-HTTLPR genotype for the promoter might be associated with a response to sertraline.