A longitudinal study of the association between the GNB3 C825T polymorphism and metabolic disturbance in bipolar II patients treated with valproate

This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the associations between the polymorphisms of guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit beta-3 (GNB3) C825T and metabolic disturbance in bipolar II disorder (BP-II) patients being treated with valproate (VPA). A 100 BP-II patients received a 12-week course of VPA treatment, and their body weight and metabolic indices were measured. At baseline, the GNB3 C825T polymorphisms were associated with the triglyceride level (P=0.032) in BP-II patients. During the VPA treatment course, the polymorphisms were not only associated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (P-values = 0.009 and 0.001, respectively), but also with total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein and leptin levels (P-values = 0.004, 0.002, 0.031 and 0.015, respectively). Patients with the TT genotype had a lower BMI, smaller waist circumference, and lower levels of lipids and leptin than those with the CT or CC genotypes undergoing the VPA treatment course.