Genetic variation in neuropeptide Y interacts with childhood trauma to influence anxiety sensitivity. Issue 4 (4th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Womersley, Jacqueline Samantha; Martin, Lindi; van der Merwe, Lize; Seedat, Soraya; Hemmings, Sian Megan Joanna
• Is Part Of: Anxiety, stress, and coping. Volume 34:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 450
• Page End: 464
• Publication Date: 2021-07-04
• Subjects: Anxiety -- childhood trauma -- gene-environment -- genetics -- neuropeptide Y -- pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- Research -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- periodicals; Stress -- periodicals; Adaptation, Psychological -- periodicals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1876225
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1061-5806

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background and objectives: Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to a fear of the negative implications of anxiety, and arises due to gene-environment interactions. We investigated whether genetic variation in two neuropeptides implicated in the stress response, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor 1, interacted with childhood trauma (CT) to influence AS. Design and methods: This cross-sectional study examined the CT x genetic variant effects on AS in 951 adolescents who self-identified as Xhosa or South African Colored (SAC) ethnicity. Results: In Xhosa females, the NPY rs5573 A allele and rs3037354 deletion variant were associated with increased ( p = 0.035) and decreased ( p = 0.034) AS, respectively. The interaction of CT and the NPY rs5574 A allele increased AS in SAC female participants ( p = 0.043). The rs3037354 deletion variant protected against AS with increased CT in SAC male participants ( p = 0.011). Conclusions: The NPY rs5574 A allele and rs3037354 deletion variant interact with CT to act as risk and protective factors, respectively, for AS in an ethnicity- and sex- differentiated manner. Our results reaffirm the role of NPY and gene-environment interactions in anxiety-related behaviors and reinforce the need for psychiatric genetics studies in diverse populations.