Detection of antidepressant induced mania

Abstract

Methods and kits for assessing the susceptibility of a patient to antidepressant-induced mania are described. The method involves testing a sample from a patient for the presence of the s variant of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism in the 5HTT gene. The presence of this s variant indicates that the patient is more susceptible to antidepressant-induced mania.

1 . A method of determining the susceptibility of a patient to antidepressant-induced mania comprising: 
 (a) obtaining a sample from the patient; and    (b) testing the sample for the presence of the s variant of the 5HTTLPR polymorphism in the 5HTT gene, wherein the presence of the s variant indicates that the patient is more susceptible to antidepressant-induced mania.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the patient has Bipolar Disorder.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the patient is treated with an antidepressant.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein the antidepressant a pro-serotonergic agent.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein the pro-serotonergic agent is clomipramine, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, imipramine, nefazodone, vanlafaxine or moclobemide.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the sample is blood.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein step (b) comprises (i) extracting nucleic acids from the sample; (ii) amplifying the extracted nucleic acids using polymerase chain reaction (PCR); (iii) performing electrophoresis of the PCR products; and (iv) determining the presence of the polymorphism.  
     
     
         8 . A kit for determining the susceptibility of a patient to antidepressant-induced mania comprising (i) reagents for conducting a method according to  claim 1  and (ii) instructions for its use.  
     
     
         9 . A kit according to  claim 8  wherein said reagents comprise nucleic acid primers for amplifying nucleic acids in a polymerase chain reaction.  
     
     
         10 . A kit according to  claim 8  wherein the reagents comprise nucleic acid primers for amplifying nucleic acids in a polymerase chain reaction, DNA polymerase, dATP, dTTP, dCTP, dGTP and buffers.  
     
     
         11 . A kit according to  claim 8  further comprising reagents for sequencing the polymerase chain reaction product.