Cross-cultural gene− environment interactions in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the cortisol awakening response: FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood trauma in South Asia. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kohrt, Brandon A.; Worthman, Carol M.; Ressler, Kerry J.; Mercer, Kristina B.; Upadhaya, Nawaraj; Koirala, Suraj; Nepal, Mahendra K.; Sharma, Vidya Dev; Binder, Elisabeth B.
• Is Part Of: International review of psychiatry. Volume 27:Number 3(2015:Jun.)
• Page Start: 180
• Page End: 196
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Mental illness -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2015.1020052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-0261

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Despite increased attention to global mental health, psychiatric genetic research has been dominated by studies in high-income countries, especially with populations of European descent. The objective of this study was to assess single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the <italic>FKBP5</italic> gene in a population living in South Asia. Among adults in Nepal, depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and childhood maltreatment with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). <italic>FKBP5</italic> SNPs were genotyped for 682 participants. Cortisol awakening response (CAR) was assessed in a subsample of 118 participants over 3 days. The <italic>FKBP5</italic> tag-SNP rs9296158 showed a main effect on depressive symptoms (<italic>p</italic> = 0.03). Interaction of rs9296158 and childhood maltreatment predicted adult depressive symptoms (<italic>p</italic> = 0.02) but not PTSD. Childhood maltreatment associated with endocrine response in individuals homozygous for the A allele, demonstrated by a negative CAR and overall hypocortisolaemia in the rs9296158 AA genotype and childhood maltreatment group (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001). This study replicated findings related to <italic>FKBP5</italic> and depression but not PTSD. Gene–environment studies should take differences in prevalence and cultural significance of phenotypes and exposures into account when interpreting cross-cultural findings.</p> </abstract>