Serotonin transporter polymorphism (5HTTLPR), severe childhood abuse and depressive symptom trajectories in adulthood
Timothy B. Nguyen,
Jane M. Gunn,
Maria Potiriadis,
Ian P. Everall,
Chad A. Bousman
Affiliations
Timothy B. Nguyen
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Jane M. Gunn
Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Maria Potiriadis
Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Ian P. Everall
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Chad A. Bousman
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia and Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorne, Victoria, Australia
Background Cross-sectional studies suggest that the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism (5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region, 5HTTLPR) moderates the relationship between childhood abuse and major depressive disorder. Aims To examine whether the 5HTTLPR polymorphism moderates the effect childhood abuse has on 5-year depressive symptom severity trajectories in adulthood. Method At 5-year follow-up, DNA from 333 adult primary care attendees was obtained and genotyped for the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. Linear mixed models were used to test for a genotype × childhood abuse interaction effect on 5-year depressive symptom severity trajectories. Results After covariate adjustment, homozygous s allele carriers with a history of severe childhood abuse had significantly greater depressive symptom severity at baseline compared with those without a history of severe childhood abuse and this effect persisted throughout the 5-year period of observation. Conclusions The 5HTTLPR s/s genotype robustly moderates the effects of severe childhood abuse on depressive symptom severity trajectories in adulthood.
