title: Polymorphisms of genes related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis influence the cortisol awakening response as well as self-perceived stress.
abstract: The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a crucial endocrine system for coping with stress. A reliable and stable marker for the basal state of that system is the cortisol awakening response (CAR). We examined the influence of variants of four relevant candidate genes; the mineralocorticoid receptor gene (MR), the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GR), the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and the gene encoding the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on CAR and self-perceived stress in 217 healthy subjects. We found that polymorphisms of GR influenced both, the basal state of the HPA axis as well as self-perceived stress. MR only associated with self-perceived stress and 5-HTT only with CAR. BDNF did not affected any of the investigated indices. In summary, we suggest that GR variants together with the CAR and supplemented with self reports on perceived stress might be useful indicators for the basal HPA axis activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li-Tempel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Division of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Mauro F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Larra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Winnikes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tempel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roel H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: DeRijk
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Behavior, Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development (INSIDE), University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Division of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schächinger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Jobst
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany. Electronic address: schotefrese@uni-trier.de.
authors.forename: Andrea B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Schote
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000502:physiology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D012649:Self Concept; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C497713:NR3C1 protein, human; C561839:NR3C2 protein, human; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C579455:BDNF protein, human; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF); Cortisol awaking response (CAR); Glucocorticoid receptor gene (GR); Mineralocorticoid receptor gene (MR); Serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT); Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS)