Variations in 5-HTTLPR: relation to familiar risk of affective disorder, life events, neuroticism and cortisol

TY - JOUR

T1 - Variations in 5-HTTLPR: relation to familiar risk of affective disorder, life events, neuroticism and cortisol

AU - Vinberg, Maj

AU - Mellerup, Erling

AU - Andersen, Per Kragh

AU - Bennike, Bente

AU - Kessing, Lars Vedel

N1 - Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - BACKGROUND: Variations in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and stressful life events are associated with affective disorders. AIM: To investigate whether the distribution of the alleles of the 5-HTTLPR is associated with a genetic predisposition to affective disorder and whether these variations interact with life events in relation to depressive symptoms, neuroticism and salivary cortisol. METHOD: In a high-risk population study, healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twins with (high-risk twins) and without (low-risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. RESULTS: When comparing the 81 individuals homozygote for the long allele with the 125 individuals hetero- and homozygote for the short allele no associations between the allele distribution and a genetic predisposition were found. The presence of the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR and the experience of SLE was associated with a higher neuroticism score, but not with depressive symptoms nor awakening or evening salivary cortisol. CONCLUSION: A combination of variants in 5-HTTLPR and environmental stress seems to increase neuroticism in healthy individuals.

AB - BACKGROUND: Variations in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and stressful life events are associated with affective disorders. AIM: To investigate whether the distribution of the alleles of the 5-HTTLPR is associated with a genetic predisposition to affective disorder and whether these variations interact with life events in relation to depressive symptoms, neuroticism and salivary cortisol. METHOD: In a high-risk population study, healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twins with (high-risk twins) and without (low-risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. RESULTS: When comparing the 81 individuals homozygote for the long allele with the 125 individuals hetero- and homozygote for the short allele no associations between the allele distribution and a genetic predisposition were found. The presence of the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR and the experience of SLE was associated with a higher neuroticism score, but not with depressive symptoms nor awakening or evening salivary cortisol. CONCLUSION: A combination of variants in 5-HTTLPR and environmental stress seems to increase neuroticism in healthy individuals.

U2 - 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.10.002

DO - 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.10.002

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19822181

SN - 0278-5846

VL - 34

SP - 86

EP - 91

JO - Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

JF - Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

IS - 1

ER -