Interaction of 5-HTTLPR genotype and unipolar major depression in the emergence of aggressive/hostile traits

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders 2011-08, Vol.132 (3), p.432-437
• Main Authors: Gonda, Xenia, Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N, Csukly, Gabor, Bagdy, Gyorgy, Pap, Dorottya, Molnár, Eszter, Laszik, Andras, Lazary, Judit, Sarosi, Andrea, Faludi, Gabor, Sasvari-Szekely, Maria, Szekely, Anna, Rihmer, Zoltan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-HTTLPR; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aggression; Alleles; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Depression; Depression - genetics; Depressive Disorder - genetics; Depressive Disorder, Major - genetics; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Female; Gene Frequency; Genotype; Hostility; Humans; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - genetics; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Polymorphism, Genetic; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; s Allele; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Suicide; Violent suicide; Women
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.029

Abstract Objective The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has been associated both with depression and aggression/hostility. The multidirectional association between depression, aggression and the s allele may be important, since all these phenomena are related to suicidal behavior. Our aim was to investigate the association between 5-HTTLPR and aggressive/hostile traits in depressed patients and controls. Methods 137 depressive and 118 control women completed the Buss–Durkee Hostility Inventory and were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR. BDHI scores in the different groups were investigated by Generalized Linear Model Analysis. Association between dependent and independent variables in the model was tested by the likelihood ratio Chi-square statistic. Results Diagnosis and genotype showed a significant association with several aggressive/hostile traits. Interaction of the two main effects was also significant in case of several subscales. Post hoc analyses indicated a significant association between BDHI subscales and s allele only in the depressed group. Limitation Only women were studied and since gender differences are present both in aggressive behavior and putatively in the behavioral effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype, our findings pertain only to females. Conclusion Our results indicate a robust relationship between aggression/hostility and 5-HTTLPR genotype, but this association is more marked in the presence of depression. The presence of the s allele thus not only contributes to a higher risk of depression, but in depressives also leads to higher aggression/hostility. Our results have important implications for suicide research, since the s allele is associated with violent suicide, and this association may be mediated through the emergence of increased aggression/hostility in depressed patients carrying the s allele.