Anorexia nervosa, perfectionism, and dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4).
The dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4), a well-characterized, polymorphic gene, is an attractive candidate for contributing risk to disordered eating and anorexia nervosa (AN). We tested association using UNPHASED for 5 DRD4 polymorphic loci, 3 promoter region SNPs (C-521T, C-616G, A-809G), the 120 bp promoter region tandem duplication and the exon III repeat, in 202 AN trios and 418 control families. Since perfectionism characterizes AN, we tested these five loci for association with the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) in the AN and control groups. Single locus analysis showed significant association between the 'C' C-521T allele and AN. Haplotype analysis also showed significant association, particularly a 4-locus haplotype (exon III&120 bp repeat&C-521T&A-809G). Association was also observed between DRD4 and CAPS scores both for AN and control subjects. The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and the arginine vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a), previously shown to be associated with disordered eating, were also associated with CAPS scores. Three genes associated with AN were also associated with perfectionism. Personality traits are potential endophenotypes for understanding the etiology of eating disorders and one of the several pathways to eating pathology may be mediated by the impact of DNA sequences on perfectionism.
Bachner-Melman
Rachel
R
Department of Psychology, Mount Scopus, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. msrbach@plutomail.huji.ac.il
Lerer
Elad
E
Zohar
Ada H
AH
Kremer
Ilana
I
Elizur
Yoel
Y
Nemanov
Lubov
L
Golan
Moria
M
Blank
Shulamit
S
Gritsenko
Inga
I
Ebstein
Richard P
RP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
C493599:DRD4 protein, human; C035170:IGF2 protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II