Effect of OPRM1 and stressful life events on symptoms of major depression in African American adolescents.
BACKGROUND
In a community sample of low-income African American adolescents, we tested the interactive effects of variation in the mu 1 opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene and the occurrence of stressful life events on symptoms of depression.


METHODS
Interactive effects of 24 OPRM1 simple nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and adolescent report of stressful life events on depression were tested using multilevel regressions. SNPs were dummy coded to test both additive and dominate forms of coding.


RESULTS
Five OPRM1 SNPs showed significant evidence of interaction with stressful life events to alter depression risk (or symptoms) after adjusting for multiple testing and the correlated nature of the SNPs. Follow-up analyses showed significant differences based on OPRM1 genotype at both lower and higher frequencies of stressful life events, suggesting that participants with a copy of the minor allele on OPRM1 SNPs rs524731, rs9478503, rs3778157, rs10485057, and rs511420 have fewer symptoms in low stress conditions but more symptoms in high stress conditions compared to major allele homozygotes.


CONCLUSIONS
The genetic variants associated with depression in African American adolescents may not translate to other ethnic groups. This study is also limited in that only one gene that functions within a complex biological system is addressed.


CONCLUSIONS
This current study is the first to find an interaction between OPRM1 and life stress that is associated with depression. It also addressed an understudied population within the behavioral genetics literature. Further research should test additional genes involved in the opioid system and expand the current findings to more diverse samples.
Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
Gregory
G
Swann
Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
Gayle R
GR
Byck
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Danielle M
DM
Dick
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Fazil
F
Aliev
College of Arts and Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States.
Shawn J
SJ
Latendresse
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Brien
B
Riley
Department of Psychology and University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
Darlene
D
Kertes
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Cuie
C
Sun
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Jessica E
JE
Salvatore
College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States.
John
J
Bolland
Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
Brian
B
Mustanski
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics*
C485764:OPRM1 protein, human; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu
Adolescence; Depression; Gene×environment interactions; Molecular genetics; Psychopathology; Stress