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- Title
Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene.
- Authors
Caspi, Avshalom; Sugden, Karen; Moffitt, Terrie E; Taylor, Alan; Craig, Ian W; Harrington, HonaLee; McClay, Joseph; Mill, Jonathan; Martin, Judy; Braithwaite, Antony; Poulton, Richie
- Abstract
In a prospective-longitudinal study of a representative birth cohort, we tested why stressful experiences lead to depression in some people but not in others. A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter (5-HT T) gene was found to moderate the influence of stressful life events on depression. Individuals with one or two copies of the short allele of the 5-HT T promoter polymorphism exhibited more depressive symptoms, diagnosable depression, and suicidality in relation to stressful life events than individuals homozygous for the long allele. This epidemiological study thus provides evidence of a gene-by-environment interaction, in which an individual's response to environmental insults is moderated by his or her genetic makeup.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 2003, Vol 301, Issue 5631, p386
- ISSN
1095-9203
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.1083968