No Association between 5-HTTLPR and Harm Avoidance in Korean College Students

There have been numerous studies on the association between 5-HTTLPR (polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene) and anxiety-related personality traits, with conflicting results. In this study, we administered Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (K-TCI) to a sample of 158 Korean college students and genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR in order to compare the TCI dimensional scores including harm avoidance according to the 5-HTTLPR genotype and sex. We could not find the association between 5-HTTLPR and harm avoidance and other TCI measures. Considering known allele frequencies differences of 5-HTTLPR among different ethnic groups, further cross-cultural studies with a larger sample would be needed.