A twin study of the psychiatric side effects of oral contraceptives.
Oral contraceptive (ORC)-related depression and irritability are among the most commonly reported drug-induced psychiatric symptoms. To investigate the etiological role of genetic factors in ORC-related symptoms, we studied questionnaire responses in 715 monozygotic and 416 dizygotic volunteer twin pairs concordant for ORC usage. Biometrical genetic analysis indicated that the liability to ORC-related depression was clearly influenced by genetic but not familial-environmental factors. Similar, but less definitive, results were found for ORC-related irritability. Multivariate genetic analysis indicated that both the genetic and the individual-specific environmental factors that influenced the liability to ORC-related depression and irritability were largely distinct from those that influence baseline levels of psychiatric symptoms. Genes play an important etiological role in ORC-related psychiatric side effects. The genes that influence liability to these side effects appear to differ from those that are etiologically important in baseline psychiatric symptomatology.
Kendler
K S
KS
Department of Human Genetics, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
Martin
N G
NG
Heath
A C
AC
Handelsman
D
D
Eaves
L J
LJ
D000339:Affect; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D001835:Body Weight; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010641:Phenotype; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral