Pharmacopsychiatry 2003; 36 - 10
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-825261

Gender influence on pharmacogenetic prediction of antidepressive efficacy

TC Baghai 1, C Schüle 1, D Eser 1, P Zwanzger 1, R Ella 1, T Deiml 1, P Zill 1, R Rupprecht 1, B Bondy 1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany

ACE is expressed in the CNS, where its function comprises the degradation of substance P (SP), which possibly influences the pathophysiology of depression. The ACE plasma concentration is determined by an I/D-polymorphism within the ACE gene. Thus, variations in CNS expression of ACE might influence antidepressant therapies.

We could show a divergent clinical outcome in relation to different genotypes in 153 depressed patients who were treated with various antidepressants. A lower HAM-D17 score after 4 weeks of treatment in D-allele-carriers was detected. Female patients with the homocygous I-allele had higher HAM-D17 scores before treatment and after four weeks. Male I/I-genotypes showed the contrary effects. An analysis of variance showed significant combined between subject effects of sex and ACE genotype on HAM-D17 scores (F[2, 153]=2.74, P=0.017).

Our investigations could indicate that the speed of onset of antidepressive therapies could be dependent on both gender and variants of the ACE gene.