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Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Uher, R; Caspi, A; Houts, R; Sugden, K; Williams, B; Poulton, R; Moffitt, TE
Published in: Journal of affective disorders
December 2011

Genetic and environmental factors shape life-long vulnerability to depression, but most gene-environment interaction (G×E) research has focused on cross-sectional assessments rather than life-course phenotypes. This study tests the hypothesis that the G×E involving the length polymorphism in the serotonin-transporter-gene-linked-promoter-region (5-HTTLPR) and childhood maltreatment is specific to depression that runs a persistent course in adulthood.The hypothesis is tested in two cohorts. Men and women in the Dunedin Study (N=847), New Zealand, followed to age 32 years with 96% retention and women in the E-Risk Study (N=930), England, followed to age 40 years with 96% retention. Diagnoses of past-year major depressive episode were established at four separate assessments. Depression diagnosed on two or more occasions was considered persistent.In both cohorts, statistical tests of gene-environment interactions showed positive results for persistent depression but not single-episode depression. Individuals with two short 5-HTTLPR alleles and childhood maltreatment had elevated risk of persistent but not single-episode depression.Some cases of recurrent depression may have been misclassified as single-episode due to non-contiguous assessment windows, but this would have a conservative effect on the findings. Chronic and recurrent depression could not be reliably distinguished due to non-contiguous periods of assessment. Therefore, the term persistent depression is used to describe either chronic or recurrent course.The specific effect on persistent depression increases the significance of this G×E for public health. Research that does not distinguish persistent course may underestimate G×E effects and account for some replication failures in G×E research.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of affective disorders

DOI

EISSN

1573-2517

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

December 2011

Volume

135

Issue

1-3

Start / End Page

56 / 65

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Risk Factors
  • Public Health
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Prognosis
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • New Zealand
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Uher, R., Caspi, A., Houts, R., Sugden, K., Williams, B., Poulton, R., & Moffitt, T. E. (2011). Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results. Journal of Affective Disorders, 135(1–3), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.010
Uher, Rudolf, Avshalom Caspi, Renate Houts, Karen Sugden, Benjamin Williams, Richie Poulton, and Terrie E. Moffitt. “Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results.Journal of Affective Disorders 135, no. 1–3 (December 2011): 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.010.
Uher R, Caspi A, Houts R, Sugden K, Williams B, Poulton R, et al. Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results. Journal of affective disorders. 2011 Dec;135(1–3):56–65.
Uher, Rudolf, et al. “Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results.Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 135, no. 1–3, Dec. 2011, pp. 56–65. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.010.
Uher R, Caspi A, Houts R, Sugden K, Williams B, Poulton R, Moffitt TE. Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results. Journal of affective disorders. 2011 Dec;135(1–3):56–65.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of affective disorders

DOI

EISSN

1573-2517

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

December 2011

Volume

135

Issue

1-3

Start / End Page

56 / 65

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Risk Factors
  • Public Health
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Prognosis
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • New Zealand