title: Serotonin transporter variants play a role in anxiety sensitivity in South African adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anxiety sensitivity (AS) has predictive potential for the development of anxiety disorders. We investigated the role that gene-environment (G × E) interactions, focussing on childhood trauma (CT) and selected SLC6A4 variants, play in modulating levels of AS in a South African adolescent population.
  
  
  METHODS
  All adolescents (n = 951) completed measures for AS and CT. Six SLC6A4 polymorphisms were genotyped. G × E influences on AS levels were assessed using multiple linear regression models. Relevant confounders were included in all analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Xhosa (n = 634) and Coloured (n = 317) participants were analysed independently of one another. The 5-HTTLPR-rs25531 L-G haplotype associated with reduced AS among Xhosa adolescents (P = 0.010). In addition, the rs1042173 CC-genotype protected against increased levels of AS in Xhosa participants who had experienced increased levels of CT (P = 0.038). Coloured males homozygous for the S-allele had significantly increased levels of AS compared to Coloured males with at least one L-allele (P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to be conducted on AS in adolescents from two ethnically diverse populations. Results indicate that the L-G haplotype confers protection against high AS levels in a Xhosa population. Furthermore, increased CT was found to protect against high levels of AS in Xhosa rs1042173 CC-carriers.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Stellenbosch University , Tygerberg , South Africa ;
authors.forename: Sian M J
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hemmings
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Stellenbosch University , Tygerberg , South Africa ;
authors.forename: Lindi I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: b Department of Statistics , University of the Western Cape , Bellville , South Africa ;
authors.forename: Lize
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Merwe
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Stellenbosch University , Tygerberg , South Africa ;
authors.forename: Rohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benecke
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychiatry , University of Wuerzburg , Wuerzburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domschke
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Stellenbosch University , Tygerberg , South Africa ;
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seedat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Anxiety; adolescent; genetics; gene–environment interaction; serotonin transporter