title: Interaction between the 5-HTTLPR genotype, impact of stressful life events, and trait neuroticism on depressive symptoms in healthy volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent biopsychological research on stress-related psychopathology shows promising evidence for the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype by life event interaction on depression. Yet, there appears to be variability in replicating such findings. From leading cognitive models of depression, it can be deduced that mainly high-impact events, particularly in stress-vulnerable, high trait neuroticism individuals who possess low coping abilities, can cause depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study therefore examines the interaction between the 5-HTTLPR genotype, impact of life events, and trait neuroticism on depression symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 771 healthy individuals, 595 women and 176 men aged 21.0±2.1 years, were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and were rated for depressive symptoms, impact of life events, and neuroticism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only the low-allele expressing (S) 5-HTTLPR carriers showed vulnerability to depression exclusively when they also reported exposure to high-impact events and showed high neuroticism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This suggests that cognitive vulnerabilities may mediate the 5-HTTLPR genotype by life event interaction on depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. r.markus@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: C Rob
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Markus
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D000075384:Neuroticism; D012016:Reference Values; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins