SynthesisTranslational psychiatry2025
Exploring the association between serotonin transporter promoter region methylation levels and depressive symptoms: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Translational psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Multilevel Mechanisms and Clinical Efficacy of Psilocybin in Depression Treatment: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Eight weeks of high-intensity interval training increases peripheral serotonin transporter expression independently of promoter methylation changes.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Partial Serotonin Transporter Deficiency Modulates Plasma Metabolome, Arginine-Nitric Oxide Pathway and Emotional Behavior in Mice Exposed to Western Diet.Metabolites · 2026Article
- Sex-dependent serotonergic signaling across development: molecular mechanisms shaping vulnerability to neurodevelopmental and mental disorders.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Review
- Molecular Mechanisms Explaining Neuroanatomical Subtypes in Major Depressive Disorder: Insights From Cortical Morphometric Inverse Divergence.Human brain mapping · 2025Article
- Overweight and POMC methylation: epigenetic associations with adolescent depression.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Depressive disorders result from complex interactions among genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. DNA methylation, a key epigenetic mechanism, is crucial in understanding depressive symptoms development. The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and its polymorphisms, like 5-HTTLPR, have been extensively studied in relation to depression, yet conflicting findings regarding the association between 5-HTT promoter methylation and depressive symptoms persist, largely due to methodological differences. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess (1) 5-HTT promoter methylation levels between depressed and non-depressed conditions and (2) the association between 5-HTT methylation and depressive symptoms severity. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from inception to January 15th, 2025 (PROSPERO: CRD42023355414) and performed two independent multi-level meta-analyses to answer our aims. Twenty-four trials were included in the systematic review. All reported effects carried potential for bias. The meta-analysis for depression occurrence (12 studies - 2028 subjects - 127 effects) indicated no significant effect (Hedges'g = 0.06) with moderate within- and low between-study heterogeneity. The depression severity analysis (14 studies - 2296 subjects - 116 effects) revealed a null effect size (Fisher's Z = 0.05), with no within- and moderate between-study heterogeneity. Asymmetry was detected for both meta-analyses. Moderator analyses demonstrated no significant effects of depression severity, methylation techniques, single-CpG sites, cell types assessed, age, and female percentage. This comprehensive review provides insights into the intricate interplay between 5-HTT promoter methylation and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, it offers well-considered recommendations for future research endeavors and delineates guidelines for reporting methylation research.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.