Genetic risk-factors for anxiety in healthy individuals: polymorphisms in genes important for the HPA axis

• Background Two important aspects for the development of anxiety disorders are genetic predisposition and alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In order to identify genetic risk-factors for anxiety, the aim of this exploratory study was to investigate possible relationships between genetic polymorphisms in genes important for the regulation and activity of the HPA axis and self-assessed anxiety in healthy individuals. Methods DNA from 72 healthy participants, 37 women and 35 men, were included in the analyses. Their DNA was extracted and analysed for the following Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP)s: rs41423247 in theNR3C1gene, rs1360780 in theFKBP5gene, rs53576 in theOXTRgene, 5-HTTLPR inSLC6A4gene and rs6295 in theHTR1Agene. Self-assessed anxiety was measured by the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. Results Self-assessed measure of both STAI-S and STAI-T were significantly higher in female than in male participants (p = 0.030 andp = 0.036, respectively). For SNP rs41423247 in theNR3C1gene, there was a significant difference in females in the score for STAI-S, where carriers of the G allele had higher scores compared to the females that were homozygous for the C allele (p < 0.01). For the SNP rs53576 in theOXTRgene, there was a significant difference in males, where carriers of the A allele had higher scores in STAI-T compared to the males that were homozygous for the G allele (p < 0.01). Conclusion This study shows that SNP rs41423247 in theNR3C1gene and SNP rs53576 in theOXTRgene are associated with self-assessed anxiety in healthy individuals in a gender-specific manner. This suggests that these SNP candidates are possible genetic risk-factors for anxiety.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Medicinsk genetik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Medical Genetics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Anxiety

Stress

HPA axis

Polymorphism

STAI

receptor gene

glucocorticoid-receptor

psychosocial stress

cortisol

responses

gender-differences

sex-differences

association

disorders

Genetics & Heredity

Anxiety

Translationell medicin TRIM

Individual and Society VIDSOC

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)