title: Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) L allele interacts with stress to increase anxiety symptoms in Chinese adolescents: a multiwave longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies of the interaction between a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and stress in anxiety-related phenotypes have produced inconsistent results. The aim of the current study was to examine the effect of the 5-HTTLPR × stress interaction on anxiety symptoms in Chinese adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 651 healthy adolescents [323 females and 328 males; age 14-17 (mean = 16.27, standard deviation = 0.77)] participated in this study. At the initial assessment, participants completed self-report measures assessing anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and stressful life events. Additionally, anxiety symptoms and stressful life events were assessed once every 3 months for the subsequent 9 months. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to investigate the 5-HTTLPR × stress interaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HLM indicated no main effect of 5-HTTLPR on anxiety symptoms. Significant 5-HTTLPR × stress interaction effect in predicting anxiety symptoms was found. Specifically, individuals with the 5-HTTLPR L allele exhibited more anxiety symptoms related to stressful life events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between stress and anxiety symptoms is moderated by 5-HTTLPR. The 5-HTTLPR L allele increases individuals' vulnerability to anxiety under stress situations.
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. mingqingsen@163.com.
authors.forename: Qingsen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. zhangyun917@163.com.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. jinyaoyi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jinyao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. wang0916xia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. xiongzhaozhu@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiongzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. shuqiaoyao@163.com.|National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. shuqiaoyao@163.com.
authors.forename: Shuqiao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins