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

2011; Elsevier BV; Volume: 132; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.029

1573-2517

Xénia Gonda, Konstantinos Ν. Fountoulakis, Gábor Csukly, György Bagdy, Dorottya Pap, Eszter Molnár, András Lászik, Judit Lazáry, Andrea Sárosi, Gábor Faludi, Mária Sasvári‐Székely, Anna Székely, Zoltán Rihmer,

Tryptophan and brain disorders

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.