Metabolic syndrome is a significant problem in the schizophrenia patients. Previous research demonstrated that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the serotonin 2C receptor (5HTR2C) genes are associated with metabolic syndrome related to schizophrenia patients taking atypical anti-psychotic drugs. This study aimed to investigate whether the effect of 3 SNPs in 5HTR2C gene on the presence of the metabolic syndrome in Thai schizophrenia patients.

We conducted a cross-sectional study and 154 patients were recruited. The schizophrenia patients were identified from a diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition, (DSM-IV) and criterion and determined the metabolic syndrome according to the 2005 international diabetes federation (IDF) Asia criteria. Patients were genotyped for the 5HTR2C rs51,8147, rs126,881,02, rs128,367,71 polymorphisms.

The preliminary analysis from 154 patients showed the metabolic syndrome prevalence was 38.73%, with 46.50% in male and 53.48% in female patients. The results showed that the patients who have heterozygous and homozygous variant on 5HTR2C gene (rs518,147 and rs126,881,02) showed a significant difference in the presence of metabolic syndrome when compare with patients who carry homozygous wild type (P = 0.007), especially in male patients (P = 0.002). The association between 5HTR2C polymorphisms and metabolic syndrome was found in male patients but not found in female patients.

These findings suggest that 5HTR2C genotypes are associated with the metabolic syndrome in patients taking atypical anti-psychotics. However, the metabolic syndrome results from the multigenetic effects. The further studies should focus on the other genes, which were involved in metabolic syndrome.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.