Reif Andreas, Rösler Michael, Freitag Christine M, Schneider Marc, Eujen Andrea, Kissling Christian, Wenzler Denise, Jacob Christian P, Retz-Junginger Petra, Thome Johannes, Lesch Klaus-Peter, Retz Wolfgang
Clinical and Molecular Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2007 Nov;32(11):2375-83. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301359. Epub 2007 Mar 7.
Aggressive behavior is influenced by variation in genes of the serotonergic circuitry and early-life experience alike. The present study aimed at investigating the contribution of polymorphisms shown to moderate transcription of two genes involved in serotonergic neurotransmission (serotonin transporter, 5HTT, and monoamine oxidase A, MAOA) to the development of violence and to test for gene-environment interactions relating to adverse childhood environment. A cohort of 184 adult male volunteers referred for forensic assessment participated in the study. Each individual was assigned to either a violent or a nonviolent group. Logistic regression was performed and the best-fitting model, with a predictive power of 74%, revealed independent effects of adverse childhood environment and MAOA genotype. High environmental adversity during childhood was associated significantly with violent behavior. Forty-five percent of violent, but only 30% of nonviolent individuals carried the low-activity, short MAOA allele. Most interestingly, an interaction effect between childhood environment and 5HTT genotype on violent behavior was found in that high adversity during childhood impacted only the later-life violence if the short promoter alleles were present. These findings indicate complex interactions between genetic variation of the serotonergic circuitry and environmental factors arguing against simplistic, mono-causal explanations of violent behavior.
攻击性行为受到血清素能神经回路基因变异和早期生活经历的共同影响。本研究旨在调查已显示出可调节参与血清素能神经传递的两个基因（血清素转运体，5HTT，和单胺氧化酶A，MAOA）转录的多态性对暴力行为发展的作用，并测试与不良童年环境相关的基因 - 环境相互作用。一组被转介进行法医评估的184名成年男性志愿者参与了该研究。每个个体被分配到暴力组或非暴力组。进行了逻辑回归分析，拟合度最佳的模型预测能力为74%，显示出不良童年环境和MAOA基因型的独立作用。童年时期的高环境逆境与暴力行为显著相关。45%的暴力个体，但只有30%的非暴力个体携带低活性、短MAOA等位基因。最有趣的是，发现童年环境与5HTT基因型对暴力行为存在交互作用，即童年时期的高逆境仅在存在短启动子等位基因时才会影响成年后的暴力行为。这些发现表明血清素能神经回路的基因变异与环境因素之间存在复杂的相互作用，反对对暴力行为进行简单化的单因果解释。
