title: Stress, COMT Polymorphisms, and Depressive Symptoms in Older Australian Women: An Exploratory Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This exploratory study examined the association between exposure to stressful life events, polymorphisms (rs165774 and rs4680) in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, and risk of depression in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional design gathered information from 150 Australia women, aged 60-70 years, on sociodemographics, stressful life events, and depressive symptoms. Participants also provided buccal cell swabs for genetic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among women exposed to stressful life events, the odds of depressive symptoms increased by 18% with each additional exposure (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.04-1.33, p = 0.007). Women who carried at least one "A" allele (AA/AG) for both rs165774 and rs4680 single nucleotide polymorphisms were less likely to report depressive symptoms (compared with women with the GG genotype; p = 0.019 and p = 0.037, respectively), although moderation analysis did not support the hypotheses of an interaction with stressful life events (rs165774: odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% CI 0.87-1.46, p = 0.347; rs4680: OR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.91-1.44, p = 0.238).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our research suggests that women with polymorphisms in COMT were less susceptible to depressive symptoms but these polymorphisms do not appear to influence susceptibility to depression in those exposed to life stressors. Further research should consider other genetic variants in catecholamine pathways and their potential impact on women's mental health.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .|2 Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University , Southport, Australia .
authors.forename: Charrlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seib
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .|3 School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland , Toowoomba, Australia .
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whiteside
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voisey
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Nursing, University of California , San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Kimberley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Nursing, University of California , San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chopin
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia .|2 Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University , Southport, Australia .
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001315:Australia; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C588010:COMT protein, human; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase