Interaction between CRHR1 gene and stressful life events predicts adolescent heavy alcohol use.
BACKGROUND
Recent animal research suggests that alterations in the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) may lead to heavy alcohol use following repeated stress. The aim of this study was to examine interactions between two haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the CRHR1 gene and adverse life events on heavy drinking in adolescents.


METHODS
Data were available from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk, an ongoing cohort study of the long-term outcome of early risk factors followed since birth. At age 15 years, 280 participants (135 males, 145 females) completed a self-report questionnaire measuring alcohol use and were genotyped for two SNPs (rs242938, rs1876831) of CRHR1. Assessment of negative life events over the past three years was obtained by a standardized interview with the parents.


RESULTS
Adolescents homozygous for the C allele of rs1876831 drank higher maximum amounts of alcohol per occasion and had greater lifetime rates of heavy drinking in relation to negative life events than individuals carrying the T allele. No gene x environment interactions were found for regular drinking and between rs242938 and stressful life events.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide first evidence in humans that the CRHR1 gene interacts with exposure to stressful life events to predict heavy alcohol use in adolescents.
Blomeyer
Dorothea
D
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
Treutlein
Jens
J
Esser
Günter
G
Schmidt
Martin H
MH
Schumann
Gunter
G
Laucht
Manfred
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1