Objective: The present study examined the possible association between the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HTR2A)-1438 A/G polymorphism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: The genotype, allele and allele carrier frequencies of the 5-HTR2A gene polymorphism were analyzed in 107 PTSD patients and 161 unrelated healthy controls using a case-control design.

Results: While there was no difference in the genotype and allele distribution of the 5-HTR2A gene polymorphism between the PTSD patients and normal controls, there was a marginal difference in the allele carrier frequency between the two groups (χ²=2.82, df=1, p=0.093), that is the GG genotype frequency tended to be higher in the PTSD samples. When the analyses were conducted separately by gender, the frequency of the GG genotype was significantly higher in the female PTSD patients than in the female normal controls (χ²= 4.38, df=1, p=0.036; OR=2.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-4.71).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the 5-HTR2A GG genotype is one of the possible genetic factors for susceptibility to PTSD, especially in the female population. Further investigations are required into the influence of gene polymorphisms on the biological mechanisms of PTSD.