title: Ethnicity, social class and hostility: effects on in vivo beta-adrenergic receptor responsiveness.
abstract: Little is known about the potential influences of social and psychosocial variables in accounting for ethnic differences in the beta-adrenergic receptor. We examined the effects of ethnicity, social class, and other variables on an in vivo marker of beta-adrenergic receptor responsiveness (Chronotropic 25 Dose, CD(25)) for 224 African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans. Social class was determined using the clinician-rated Hollingshead two-factor index. The Cook-Medley hostility and Buss-Durkee assaultiveness subscales were administered to a subset of subjects. Results indicated that African-Americans had decreased beta-receptor responsiveness compared to Caucasian-Americans after controlling for social class, age, and smoking (P=0.001). Secondary analysis for a subset of subjects revealed significant hostility x ethnicity interactions, such that hostility predicted decreased beta-receptor responsiveness for Caucasian-Americans (P=0.004), but not for African-Americans. Thus, decreased beta-adrenergic receptor responsiveness in African-Americans does not appear to be due to differences in current social class, age, or smoking status, nor to higher reports of hostility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. sjain@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Shamini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Roesch
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007545:Isoproterenol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012923:Social Class; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D015415:Biomarkers; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D007545:Isoproterenol