Genetic studies of panic disorder

: We review the literature on genetic factors in anxiety disorders and present data from a study in which we used the HLA system to evaluate distribution of different antigens in the members of a family with high morbidity of Panic Disorder. Our aim was to look for HLA haplotype sharing among the affected subjects. All members of the family were interviewed with the SCID interview to detect any psychiatric disorder. Third generation members under 18 were evaluated with a structured interview especially designed to identify separation anxiety disorder. In all cases we assessed 11 HLA-A, 16 HLA-B and 5 HLA-Cw antigens. The results suggest a genetic component for Panic Disorder, based on the presence of the same haplotype (A3B18) in the six members of the family suffering from Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, compared with its absence in the others who were free of such disorders.