title: Shared Genetic Factors of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in a Brazilian Family-Based Cohort, the Baependi Heart Study.
abstract: To investigate the phenotypic and genetic overlap between anxiety and depression symptoms in an admixed population from extended family pedigrees. Participants (n = 1,375) were recruited from a cohort of 93 families (mean age±SD 42±16.3, 57% female) in the rural town of Baependi, Brazil. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess depression and anxiety symptoms. Heritability estimates were obtained by an adjusted variance component model. Bivariate analyses were performed to obtain the partition of the covariance of anxiety and depression into genetic and environmental components, and to calculate the genetic contribution modulating both sets of symptoms. Anxiety and depression scores were 7.49±4.01 and 5.70±3.82, respectively. Mean scores were affected by age and were significantly higher in women. Heritability for depression and anxiety, corrected for age and sex, were 0.30 and 0.32, respectively. Significant genetic correlations (ρg = 0.81) were found between anxiety and depression scores; thus, nearly 66% of the total genetic variance in one set of symptoms was shared with the other set. Our results provided strong evidence for a genetic overlap between anxiety and depression symptoms, which has relevance for our understanding of the biological basis of these constructs and could be exploited in genome-wide association studies.
authors.affiliation: Department and Institute of Psychiatry (LIM 23), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tâmara P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Taporoski
authors.affiliation: Department and Institute of Psychiatry (LIM 23), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: André B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Negrão
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa R V R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Horimoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nubia E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Alvim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Malcolm von
authors.initials: Mv
authors.lastname: Schantz
authors.affiliation: Department and Institute of Psychiatry (LIM 23), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Homero
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vallada
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment