The Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Trauma Depends on Traumatic Load and the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism

Kolassa, Iris- Tatjana and Kolassa, Stephan and Ertl, Verena and Papassotiropoulos, A. and De Quervain, D. (2010) The Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Trauma Depends on Traumatic Load and the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism. Biological Psychiatry, 67 (4). pp. 304-308. ISSN 0006-3223

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Abstract

Background The risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) depends on the number of traumatic event types experienced in a dose–response relationship, but genetic factors are known to also influence the risk of PTSD. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has been found to affect fear extinction and might play a role in the etiology of anxiety disorders. Methods Traumatic load and lifetime and current diagnosis of PTSD and COMT genotype were assessed in a sample of 424 survivors of the Rwandan Genocide living in the Nakivale refugee camp in southwestern Uganda. Results Higher numbers of different lifetime traumatic event types led to a higher prevalence of lifetime PTSD in a dose–response relationship. However, this effect was modulated by the COMT genotype: whereas Val allele carriers showed the typical dose–response relationship, Met/Met homozygotes exhibited a high risk for PTSD independently of the severity of traumatic load. Conclusions The present findings indicate a gene–environment interaction between the human COMT Val158Met polymorphism and the number of traumatic event types experienced in the risk of developing PTSD.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Biological Psychiatry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2800/2803
Subjects:
?? biological psychiatry ??
ID Code:
134033
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
22 Jun 2019 09:14
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 19:27