title: Cluster B personality disorders are associated with allelic variation of monoamine oxidase A activity.
abstract: Genetic variants of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) have been associated with aggression-, anxiety-, and addiction-related behavior in several nonclinical and clinical populations. Here, we investigated the influence of allelic variation of MAOA activity on aggression-related personality traits and disease risk in patients with personality disorders. Personality disorders were diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV and were allocated to cluster A, B, and C. Personality features were assessed by the revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. The genotype of the MAOA gene-linked polymorphic region (MAOA-LPR) was determined in 566 patients with personality disorders and in 281 healthy controls. MAOA genotype was significantly associated with cluster B personality disorders (chi2=7.77, p=0.005, df=1) but not with cluster C personality disorders. In total, 26.0% of cluster B patients were hemi- or homozygous for the low-activity variant of the MAOA genotype, compared to 16.4% in the control group. Associations between MAOA variants and personality domains related to impulsivity and aggressiveness were inconsistent. Our findings further support the notion that allelic variation of MAOA activity contributes modestly to the balance of hyper- (impulsive-aggressive) and hyporeactive (anxious-depressive) traits.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Molecular Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany. psychpol@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hohenberger
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutknecht
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidtke
authors.forename: Rainald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mössner
authors.forename: Klaus Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lesch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D008995:Monoamine Oxidase