Method and a Kit to Predict Response to Antidepressant Treatment

A method for managing therapy of a human subject comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a biological sample from the human subject in need of antidepressant treatment;
• b) amplifying genomic region containing rs41271330 by using primers hybridizing with SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2 or with a haplotype block specific to rs41271330;
• c) determining a presence or an absence of major or minor allele of polymorphism rs41271330 in coding region of each allele of the subject's BMP5 gene, or determining alleles in linkage disequilibrium with major or minor allele of rs41271330 at a polymorphic position in the haplotype block containing rs41271330;
• d) assessing homozygosity of major allele of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene, wherein the presence of homozygous major allele of polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene or a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with the homozygous major allele genotype indicates potential response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment;
• and
• e) prescribing SSRIs to the subject having homozygous major allele genotype of polymorphism rs41271330 or a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with said allele.

A method for managing therapy of a human subject comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a biological sample from the human subject in need of antidepressant treatment;
• b) amplifying genomic region containing rs41271330 by using primers hybridizing with SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2 or with a haplotype block specific to rs41271330;
• c) determining a presence or an absence of a major or a minor allele of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of each allele of the subject's BMP5 gene, or determining alleles in linkage disequilibrium with the major or the minor allele of rs41271330 at a polymorphic position in the haplotype block containing rs41271330;
• d) assessing homozygosity of the major allele of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene, wherein absence of homozygous major allele genotype of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene or absence of a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with said major allele indicates potential nonresponse to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment;
• and
• e) avoiding prescribing SSRI treatment to the subject not having homozygous major allele genotype of polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene nor a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with said allele.

A method for modulating a potential of an individual to respond to the treatment with an antidepressant, said method comprising:

• a) determining potential of the individual to respond to the treatment with an antidepressant, by
• i) obtaining a biological sample from the individual;
• ii) amplifying genomic region containing rs41271330 by using primers hybridizing with SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2 or with a haplotype block specific to rs41271330;
• iii) determining a presence or an absence of a major or a minor allele of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of each allele of the subject's BMP5 gene, or determining alleles in linkage disequilibrium with the major or the minor allele of rs41271330 at a polymorphic position in the haplotype block containing rs41271330;
• iv) assessing homozygosity of the major allele of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene, wherein absence of homozygous major allele genotype of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene or absence of a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with said major allele indicates potential nonresponse to the antidepressant;
• b) selecting individuals with absence of homozygous major allele genotype of the polymorphism rs41271330 in the coding region of the BMP5 gene or absence of a genotype in linkage disequilibrium with said major allele;
• and
• c) modulating expression of a biological molecule encoded by the BMP5 gene or by a sequence or an antisense sequence containing alleles in linkage disequilibrium with alleles of the polymorphism rs41271330.