Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

Objective：A Comparison of QTc prolongation for various antipsychotics and an analysis of QTc prolongation for the various types of serotonin transporter polymorphism were performed.

Method：EKG was checked, followed by QTc measurement as Bazett's correction, and the serotonin transporter polymorphism was examined in 110 chronic schizophrenia patients were performed EKG before 24 weeks ago. We defiened QTc prolongation as over 450ms. The risk factor of sudden cardiac death were defiend as QTc prolongation and or 60ms in delta value.

Result：The prevalence of QTc prolongation in this study was 7.3%, and the prevalence of over 60ms was 4.5%. Patients who had the risk factors were 10(9.1%). 6/52 who prescribed atypical antipsychotics and 2/58 who prescribed haloperidol showed QTc prolongation. The prevalence who had the risk factor of sudden cardiac death were 16% in atypical antipsychotics group, 3.4% in haloperidol group. QTc prolongation were observed more frequently in l/l type than s/s type. l allele frequency were 50% in QTc prolongated group, 19% in not prolongated group. l allele had an association with QTc prolongation(p<0.01).

Conclusion：The prevalence of QTc prolongatin was frequent in chronic schizophrenia patients who were prescribed atypical antipsychotics. It has strong association with l allele of 5-HTTLPR. 

Keywords QTc;Antipsychotics;Serotonin transporter polymorphism.