title: Association between the serotonin transporter triallelic genotype and eating problems is moderated by the experience of childhood trauma in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated a potential interaction between the triallelic polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) promoter and the experience of childhood trauma on the number of problem eating behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample was comprised of 439 (64.7% female) Caucasian college students (mean age = 22.49, SD = 6.12). Participants completed questionnaires that assessed eating problems and experience of trauma in childhood (ages 0-12) and donated cheek cells for 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 genotyping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women carrying a lower expressing allele (i.e., L(G) or S) who were exposed to higher levels of childhood trauma reported significantly higher mean numbers of eating problems (gender × genotype × trauma interaction, p = .006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results are consistent with findings that the lower expressing alleles of the SLC6A4 promoter are associated with increased sensitivity to the negative impact of childhood stressors on adult behavioral outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA. sstoltenberg2@unl.edu
authors.forename: Scott F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Stoltenberg
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Parthasarathi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anagnopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D000483:Alleles; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D014930:Women
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins