Modification of the association between serotonin transporter genotype and risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults by county-level social environment - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2009 Mar 15;169(6):704-11.

doi: 10.1093/aje/kwn397. Epub 2009 Feb 19.

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Modification of the association between serotonin transporter genotype and risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults by county-level social environment

Karestan C Koenen et al. Am J Epidemiol. 2009.

Abstract

Although both genetic factors and features of the social environment are important predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are few data examining gene-social environment interactions in studies of PTSD. The authors examined whether features of the social environment (county-level crime rate and unemployment) modified the association between the serotonin protein gene (SLC6A4) promoter variant (5-HTTLPR) and risk of current PTSD in a sample of 590 participants from the 2004 Florida Hurricane Study. Interviews conducted in 2005 were used to obtain individual-level risk factor measures and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, PTSD diagnoses. DNA was extracted from salivary samples. County-level crime and unemployment rates were assessed from Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Census data, respectively. There was a significant interaction between 5-HTTLPR genotype and both crime rate (odds ratio = 2.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 6.57) and unemployment rate (odds ratio = 3.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.42, 9.50) in logistic regression models predicting PTSD risk, after adjustment for individual-level determinants of PTSD. Stratified analyses indicated that the "s" allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of PTSD in low-risk environments (low crime/unemployment rates) but increased risk of PTSD in high-risk environments. These results suggest that social environment modifies the effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype on PTSD risk.

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Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) genotype and county-level crime rate (dichotomized as high vs. low), 2004 Florida Hurricane Study, 2005. l, long allele; s, short allele.

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) genotype and county-level unemployment rate (dichotomized as high vs. low), 2004 Florida Hurricane Study, 2005. l, long allele; s, short allele.

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