Genetic variation in the G-protein β3 subunit (GNB3) has previously been associated with gene splicing that has been further linked to increased signal transduction and major depressive disorder.
We here report analysis of data from GENDEP, a part-randomized pharmacogenomic trial, on the outcome of 811 subjects with major depression undergoing treatment with either escitalopram or nortriptyline in which the C825T SNP and three further SNPs in GNB3 were genotyped.
The result suggests that C825T variants of GNB3 cannot play a major role as a predictor of treatment response as well as intolerance to SSRIs in Japanese patients with major depression.
Although the C825T polymorphism of the GNB3 gene may affect the pathogenesis of MDD, our results do not support the hypothesis that this polymorphism is involved in the therapeutic response to mirtazapine in Korean patients with MDD.