Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.08.2003, Page 22

I ABSTRACTS / 27TH NORDIC PSYCHIATRIC CONGRESS
S - Symposia
S-l/1 Thursday 14/8,11:00-12:30
The dexamethasone suppression test and CSF-5-HIAA in
relation to suicidality and depression in suicide
attempters
Ása Wcstrin, MD, PhD, Anders Niméus MD, PhD, Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience,
Division of Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
anders.nimeus@psykiatr lu.se
Tliis study tested suicidality in relation to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and the dexamethasone
suppression test. Patients with nonsuppression of cortisol had the
highest scores of the Suicide Assessment Scale (SUAS) and the
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, respectively
(p<0.05;p<0.01). The results persisted when analysed for covari-
ance with CSF-5-HIAA. We have previously noted an elevated
suicide risk in suicide attempters with high SUAS scores, why a
large part of nonsuppressors may be at high risk for future suicide.
S-l/2 Thursday 14/8,11:00-12:30
Whole brain serotonin- and dopaminetransporters in
suicide attempters and controls
L Traskman-Bcndz, Professor, Division of Psychiatry, Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience,
University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. M. Lindström, E.Ryding, P Bosson, J-A
Ahnlide, I Rosén.
lil. traskman_bendz@psykiatr. lu.se
Background: Serious (violent) suicidal behaviour has repeatedly
been associated with Dysregulation of serotonin and/or dopamine.
Aim: We wanted to further examine the role of these monoamines
by studying the transporters of serotonin (5HTT) and dopamine
(DAT) in vivo.
Material and methods: Twelve drug-free suicide attempters with
high suicidal intent were compared with matched healthy controls.
The cocaine analogue 127 I B-CIT was used as ligand for SPECT-
recordings and was combined with administration of citalopram.
Several regions of interest (ROI:s) were examined. We report on
findings from whole brain. The patients filled in the Marke Myman
Temperament (MNT).
Rcsuits: Among patients there was a significant correlation bet-
ween DAT and 5HTT. We found no significant differences between
patients and controls. There were trends of lower 5HTT in de-
pressed individuals. The most remarkable finding was a significant
correlation between 5HTT and impulsivity (solidity) in suicide
attempters, but not controls.
Cundusions: Our findings on impulsivity are intriguing. Whole
brain 5HTT or DAT seem to be of little importance explaining
suicidal behaviour. Studies on well defined ROI:s are pending.
S-l/3 Thursday 14/8,11:00-12.30
Familiality of suicides in lceland
Hiigni Óskarsson, Psychiatrist, Therapeia, Suðurgötu 12, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. Lilja
Sigrún Jónsdóttir, Sverrir Þorvaldsson, Sigurður Páll Pálsson, Kári Stefánsson
Aims: To assess familial transmission of suicides in Iceland.
Methods: AIl death certificates of persons known to have com-
mitted suicide in Iceland between 1911 and 2000 were reviewed. In
addition to cause of and age at death, suicide method was docu-
mented and demographic factors. Following a one-way encryption
process this information was analysed for family-relatedness in the
deCODE Genealogy Database which is based on the genealogical
records for nearly 700,000 Icelanders, i.e. most of the 287,000 living
Icelanders and their ancestors. The analysis is performed by apply-
ing recursive algorithms to find all common ancestors in the data-
base related to any other family member with suicide as the cause
of death.
Results: There were 1,242 men and 379 females on the list. Enough
information was found for 1.558 for the genealogy analysis. Risk
ratio (RR) was calculated; for lst degree relatives the RR was 2.8,
higher for parents and children than for siblings, but similar for both
sexes. The RR decreased for 2nd degree relatives to 1.6. These
results are highly significant and extend to 3rd and 4th degree
relatives. Kinship coefficient calculation yielded similar results. The
risk was not related to age at death. There was significant family
segregation with both violent and non-violent methods.
Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest a genetic component to
suicides, but our data do not allow differentiation between other pos-
sible contributing genetic causes such as depression and alcoholism.
S-l/4 Thursday 14/8,11:00-12:30
Association study of TPH gene polymorphisms and
completed suicide in Slovenia
Andrej Marusic>, PhD, MD, MRCPsych, MSc, BSc, Institute of Public Health of the
Republic of Slovenia, Trubaijeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, J Balacic2, K Sugden3, S
RoskarL A Farmer3, P McGuffin3, I Craig3
Unstitute of Public Health of Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2Institute of
Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 3Institute of Psychiatry,
London, UK
andrej.marusic@ivz-rs.si
Objectives: We investigated two polymorphisms across the TPH
gene region, one SNP in intron 7 and the 5’ microsatellite, in a study
sample of suicide completers and controls.
Methods: Brain tissue was obtained from 75 successive suicide
completers from Ljubljana, Slovenia. Controls were obtained from
brain tissue of 47 successive deaths from natural causes. We
assessed the pattern of linkage disequilibrium between the two
polymorphisms within this sample, and to investigate association
between TPH gene variants and suicidal behaviour.
Rcsults: The male-female ratio was 3:1, mean age was 43.8 for cases
and 55.2 for controls. Suicide was committed by hanging in 47.3%
of cases. There was an overall association between both allele ‘A’ of
the TPH intron 7 polymorphism and allele ‘2’ of the 3’ micro-
satellite with suicide. Controls have a significantly fewer number of
22 LÆKNABLAÐIÐ t FYLGIRIT 48 2003/89