title: The association of childhood maltreatment with depression and anxiety is not moderated by the oxytocin receptor gene.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene may be involved in resilience or vulnerability towards stress, and hence in the development of stress-related disorders. There are indications that OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) interact with early life stressors in predicting levels of depression and anxiety. To replicate and extend these findings, we examined whether three literature-based OXTR SNPs (rs2254298, rs53576, rs2268498) interact with childhood maltreatment in the development of clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 2567 individuals from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. This sample consisted of 387 healthy controls, 428 people with a current or past depressive disorder, 243 people with a current or past anxiety disorder, and 1509 people with both lifetime depression and anxiety diagnoses. Childhood maltreatment was measured with both an interview and via self-report. Additional questionnaires measured depression and anxiety sensitivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood maltreatment was strongly associated with both lifetime depression and anxiety diagnoses, as well as with depression and anxiety sensitivity. However, the OXTR SNPs did not moderate these associations nor had main effects on outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The three OXTR gene SNPs did not interact with childhood maltreatment in predicting lifetime depression and anxiety diagnoses or sensitivity. This stresses the importance of replication studies with regard to OXTR gene variants in general populations as well as in clearly established clinical samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands. m.s.tollenaar@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: Marieke S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tollenaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marc L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Molendijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brenda W J H
authors.initials: BWJH
authors.lastname: Penninx
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Milaneschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands. NAntypa@FSW.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antypa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C569600:OXTR protein, human; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin
keywords: Anxiety; Childhood maltreatment; Depression; OXTR; Oxytocin; Single nucleotide polymorphism