title: A common mineralocorticoid receptor polymorphism (I180V) interacts with life events in relation to perfectionism in eating disorders: a pilot study.
abstract: The stress response is regulated by the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). When the balance between GR and MR signalling is disturbed, one's capacity to cope with a stressful event is diminished. In this pilot study, we tested the hypothesis that an interaction between common variants in the MR (rs5522) or GR gene (rs41423247) and stressful life events influences perfectionism levels in a group of patients with an eating disorder (ED; n = 113). Patients carrying the minor G allele of rs5522 had a higher perfectionism score if more stressful life events were experienced [β = 0.95, t(109) = 3.75, p < 0.01]. This effect was not found for patients carrying the AA genotype. These results suggest that rs5522 G allele carriers might be vulnerable to stressful life events. When patients with an ED are carriers and experience multiple life events, this might fuel their insecurity, which in turn may engender higher levels of perfectionism. Further studies are necessary to replicate and expand our findings.
authors.affiliation: Center for Eating Disorders Ursula, Leidschendam, The Netherlands; Molecular Epidemiology Section, Department of Medical Statistics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Margarita C T
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Slof-Op't Landt
authors.forename: Roel H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: DeRijk
authors.forename: Gabrielle E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: van Son
authors.forename: H Eka D
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Suchiman
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meulenbelt
authors.forename: P Eline
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Slagboom
authors.forename: Eric F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Van Furth
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid
keywords: G×E interactions; eating disorder; life events; mineralocorticoid receptor; perfectionism