title: Interaction between specific forms of childhood maltreatment and the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) in recurrent depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is inconsistent evidence of interaction between stressful events and a serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in depression. Recent studies have indicated that the moderating effect of 5-HTTLPR may be strongest when adverse experiences have occurred in childhood and the depressive symptoms persist over time. However, it is unknown whether this gene-environment interaction is present for recurrent depressive disorder and different forms of maltreatment. Therefore, patients with recurrent clinically diagnosed depression and controls screened for the absence of depression were utilised to examine the moderating effect of 5-HTTLPR on associations between specific forms of childhood adversity and recurrent depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 227 recurrent unipolar depression cases and 228 never psychiatrically ill controls completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to assess exposure to sexual, physical and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect in childhood. DNA extracted from blood or cheek swabs was genotyped for the short (s) and long (l) alleles of 5-HTTLPR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All forms of childhood maltreatment were reported as more severe by cases than controls. There was no direct association between 5-HTTLPR and depression. Significant interactions with additive and recessive 5-HTTLPR genetic models were found for overall severity of maltreatment, sexual abuse and to a lesser degree for physical neglect, but not other maltreatment types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Retrospective report of childhood adversity may have reduced the accuracy of the findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides support for the role of interplay between 5-HTTLPR and a specific early environmental risk in recurrent depressive disorder.
authors: MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Box P080, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. helen.2.fisher@kcl.ac.uk
authors: Helen L
authors: HL
authors: Fisher
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Cohen-Woods
authors: Georgina M
authors: GM
authors: Hosang
authors: Ania
authors: A
authors: Korszun
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Owen
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Craddock
authors: Ian W
authors: IW
authors: Craig
authors: Anne E
authors: AE
authors: Farmer
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: McGuffin
authors: Rudolf
authors: R
authors: Uher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins