Possible genetic association between vasopressin receptor 1B and child aggression.
BACKGROUND
Studies on animal models have implicated arginine vasopressin signalling pathway in aggressive behaviour. The role of arginine vasopressin in childhood onset aggression is unclear.


METHODS
We investigated 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes coding for arginine vasopressin and its receptors in our sample of 177 aggressive child cases paired with adult controls matched for sex and ethnicity.


RESULTS
We found the non-synonymous polymorphism AVPR1B_rs35369693 to be associated with child aggression in our sample (P=0.007). We also found two-marker haplotype window containing AVPR1B_rs35369693 and AVPR1B_rs28676508 to be associated (P=0.003). The haplotype findings survived multiple-testing adjusted significance threshold of 0.0063.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of a genetic association between vasopressin receptor 1B and child aggression. Replication in independent samples are required to confirm these findings.
Neurogenetics Section, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Clement C
CC
Zai
Katherine E
KE
Muir
Behdin
B
Nowrouzi
Sajid A
SA
Shaikh
Esther
E
Choi
Laura
L
Berall
Marc-Olivier
MO
Trépanier
Joseph H
JH
Beitchman
James L
JL
Kennedy
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics*
D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin