Analysis of Serotonin Transporter Gene (5HTT) Variants Association in Children with Autistic Disorder

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and the prevalence was estimated to be 4 in every 10,000 children. Autism cannot be traced to a Mendelian mutation and thought to be a complex multifactorial disorder. 5-HTT gene is responsible for the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic cell after it has been released into the synaptic cleft to signal the adjacent neuron. 5-HTTLPR is a degenerate repeat polymorphic region in 5-HTT gene, located on chromosome 17 and has been implicated in some human mental disorders. In the present study the researchers screened for the association of serotonin transporter gene variants in children's with autism. The DNA was isolated using salting out method and PCR was performed for the amplification of the gene of interest and the products were run on 2% agarose gel and the band pattern were analyzed. The study analysis, revealed no evidence for an association of 5-HTT gene variants and autism.