Liou et al. recently published a study illustrating that promoter polymorphisms in microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) are associated with metabolic syndrome in schizophrenic patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. 456 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, who had been treated with clozapine (n = 171), olanzapine (n = 91), or risperidone (n = 194) for at least 3 months were genotyped for the 10 MTTP single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

Metabolic syndrome was present in 22.8% of all subjects. In single-marker-based analysis, the MTTP rs1800591 (-493G>T) T-allele carriers were at double the risk for metabolic syndrome relative to G/G homozygotes. The MTTP rs1800591 T allele could be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in patients under atypical antipsychotic medication.

Genetic Variants of Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein (MTTP) Are Associated With Metabolic Syndrome in Schizophrenic Patients Treated With Atypical Antipsychotics. Liou YJ, Tsai SJ, Wang YC, Bai YM, Hong CJ. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013 Jun;33(3):313-8. PMID: 23609384

posted by Yannis Trakadis, MD