Introduction:

Initial reactions to cigarettes predict later regular smoking. Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have also been shown to increase smoking risk and may moderate the relationship between genotype and smoking. We conducted an exploratory study to assess whether ADHD symptoms interact with genetic variation to predict self-reported initial reactions to smoking.

Methods:

Participants were a subsample of 1,900 unrelated individuals with genotype data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of adolescents followed from 1995 to 2002. Linear regression was used to examine relationships among self-reported ADHD symptoms, genotype, and self-reported initial reactions to cigarettes (index scores reflecting pleasant and unpleasant reactions).

Results:

Polymorphisms in the DRD2 gene, SLC6A4 gene, and among males, the MAOA gene interacted with retrospective reports of ADHD symptoms in predicting pleasant initial reaction to cigarettes. Polymorphisms in the CYP2A6 gene and, among females, the MAOA gene interacted with retrospective reports of ADHD symptoms in predicting unpleasant initial reaction to cigarettes. No main effect for any of these polymorphisms was observed nor were any interactions with DRD4 and DAT genes.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that genotypes associated with monoamine neurotransmission interact with ADHD symptoms to influence initial reactions to cigarette smoking. Given that an initial pleasant reaction to cigarettes increases risk for lifetime smoking, these results add to a growing body of literature that suggests that ADHD symptoms increase risk for smoking and should be accounted for in genetic studies of smoking.

Racial disparity in pregnancy outcomes is one of the most striking and poorly understood inequalities in American health. Genetic variability may be an important host factor influencing disparate birth outcomes between non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Race-specific allelic frequencies in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene suggest its potential as a gene involved in health disparities. The Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby Study is a prospective cohort of pregnant women aimed at identifying genetic, social, and environmental contributors to disparities in pregnancy outcomes in Durham, NC. VDR haplotype tagging SNPs were genotyped via Taqman assays for 615 women. Analysis of variance was used to examine the association between maternal genotype and infant birthweight. Eight of 38 SNPs examined showed nominal significance among NHB women, with one VDR SNP (rs7975232) surpassing the multiple testing significance threshold. rs7975232, an anonymous polymorphism, is part of a VDR gene haplotype associated with variation in mRNA stability. mRNA stability can affect the amount of protein produced, thus directly affecting vitamin D levels and calcium homeostasis. In contrast to NHBs, there was no association between any VDR SNP and birthweight for NHWs. Genetic factors contributing to disparities in birth outcomes are not expected to be explained entirely by variation in a single gene. Nevertheless, our results suggest that maternal VDR gene polymorphisms do influence birthweight with differential effects accruing across racial groups. Further research identifying the functionality of VDR gene polymorphisms in pregnant women will improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms influencing birthweight.

Low folate status has been linked to depression but findings have been inconsistent. The authors sought to examine the association between folate intake and late-life depression. This cross-sectional study included individuals age 60 and over (n=111 depression, n=136 comparison). Depression participants received psychiatric care. Folate and kilocalorie intakes were assessed with a Block 1998 food frequency questionnaire. Naturally occurring food folate was inversely associated with depression after controlling for age, sex, race, education, and total energy (p=0·0047). All other folate variables including total dietary folate and folic acid were non-significant for depression. These findings may indicate that the naturally occurring form of folate is uniquely protective for depression and perhaps brain health. Alternatively, natural folate may be a surrogate for other nutrients or overall dietary quality.

Objective

A family was previously identified that cosegregates a pericentric inversion, inv(3)(p14 : q21), with an early-onset developmental condition, characterized by impulsive behavior and intellectual deficit. The inversion breakpoints lie within DOCK3 and SLC9A9 at the p-arm and q-arm, respectively. Based on this report, these genes were selected to be evaluated in a family-based attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) association study.

Methods

Conners’ Parent (CPRS) and Teacher (CTRS) Rating Scales of AD/HD symptoms and Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT) measures were collected and a minimal number of tagging singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in each gene were selected for analysis. Analyses were performed on families who met research criteria for AD/HD. Using the program, QTDT, each tagging SNP was tested for association with T-scores from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) subscales according to the CTRS and CPRS, and five CPT measures.

Results

After adjusting for multiple testing, a SNP in the 3′ UTR of SLC9A9, rs1046706, remained significantly associated (false discovery rate, q value < 0.05) with scores on the DSM-IV hyperactive-impulsive and total symptom subscales according to the CTRS and errors of commission on the CPT. In addition, an intronic SLC9A9 SNP, rs2360867, remained significantly associated with errors of commission.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that SLC9A9 may be related to hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in AD/HD and the disruption of SLC9A9 may be responsible for the behavioral phenotype observed in the inversion family. The association with SLC9A9 is particularly interesting as it was recently implicated in a genome-wide association study for AD/HD. Further investigation of the role of SLC9A9 in AD/HD and other behavioral disorders is warranted.

Objective

This study addressed the hypothesis that variation in genes associated with dopamine function (SLC6A3, DRD2, DRD4), serotonin function (SLC6A4), and regulation of monoamine levels (MAOA) may be predictive of BMI categories (obese and overweight + obese) in young adulthood and of changes in BMI as adolescents transition into young adulthood. Interactions with gender and race/ethnicity were also examined.

Research Methods and Procedures

Participants were a subsample of individuals from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of adolescents followed from 1995 to 2002. The sample analyzed included a subset of 1584 unrelated individuals with genotype data. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate associations between genotypes and obesity (BMI > 29.9) or overweight + obese combined (BMI > 25) with normal weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9) as a referent. Linear regression models were used examine change in BMI from adolescence to young adulthood.

Results

Significant associations were found between SLC6A4 5HTTLPR and categories of BMI, and between MAOA promoter VNTR among males and categories of BMI. Stratified analyses revealed that the association between these two genes and excess BMI was significant for males overall, and for White and Hispanic males specifically. Linear regression models indicated a significant effect of SLC6A4 5HTTLPR on change in BMI from adolescence to young adulthood.

Discussion

Our findings lend further support to the involvement of genes implicated in dopamine and serotonin regulation on energy balance.

Background

Depression and Genetic variation in serotonin and monoamine transmission have both been associated with Body Mass Index (BMI), but their interaction effects are not well understood. We examined the interaction between depressive symptoms and functional polymorphisms of serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) on categories of BMI.

Methods

Participants were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate interactions between candidate genes and depression on risk of obesity (BMI≥30) or overweight + obese combined (BMI≥25).

Results

Males with an MAOA active allele with high depressive symptoms were at decreased risk of obesity (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.06 – 0.78) and overweight + obesity (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26 – 0.89). No similar effect was observed among females.

Conclusions

These findings highlight that the obesity-depression relationship may vary as a function of gender and genetic polymorphism, and suggest the need for further study.

Intelligence is a highly heritable trait for which it has proven difficult to identify the actual genes. In the past decade, five whole-genome linkage scans have suggested genomic regions important to human intelligence; however, so far none of the responsible genes or variants in those regions have been identified. Apart from these regions, a handful of candidate genes have been identified, although most of these are in need of replication. The recent growth in publicly available data sets that contain both whole genome association data and a wealth of phenotypic data, serves as an excellent resource for fine mapping and candidate gene replication. We used the publicly available data of 947 families participating in the International Multi-Centre ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) study to conduct an in silico fine mapping study of previously associated genomic locations, and to attempt replication of previously reported candidate genes for intelligence. Although this sample was ascertained for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intelligence quotient (IQ) scores were distributed normally. We tested 667 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 15 previously reported candidate genes for intelligence and 29451 SNPs in five genomic loci previously identified through whole genome linkage and association analyses. Significant SNPs were tested in four independent samples (4,357 subjects), one ascertained for ADHD, and three population-based samples. Associations between intelligence and SNPs in the ATXN1 and TRIM31 genes and in three genomic locations showed replicated association, but only in the samples ascertained for ADHD, suggesting that these genetic variants become particularly relevant to IQ on the background of a psychiatric disorder. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The molecular diagnosis of muscle disorders is challenging: genetic heterogeneity (>100 causal genes for skeletal and cardiac muscle disease) precludes exhaustive clinical testing, prioritizing sequencing of specific genes is difficult due to the similarity of clinical presentation, and the number of variants returned through exome sequencing can make the identification of the disease-causing variant difficult. We have filtered variants found through exome sequencing by prioritizing variants in genes known to be involved in muscle disease while examining the quality and depth of coverage of those genes. We ascertained two families with autosomal dominant limb-girdle muscular dystrophy of unknown etiology. To identify the causal mutations in these families, we performed exome sequencing on five affected individuals using the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon 50 Mb kit and the Illumina HiSeq 2000 (2×100 bp). We identified causative mutations in desmin (IVS3+3A>G) and filamin C (p.W2710X), and augmented the phenotype data for individuals with muscular dystrophy due to these mutations. We also discuss challenges encountered due to depth of coverage variability at specific sites and the annotation of a functionally proven splice site variant as an intronic variant.