Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Hôpital Belle-Idée, Geneva, Switzerland.
Genes Brain Behav. 2010 Mar 1;9(2):193-202. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2009.00547.x. Epub 2009 Oct 23.
Anger-related traits are regulated by genes as well as early environmental factors. Both childhood maltreatment and genes underlie vulnerability to suicidal behaviors, possibly by affecting the constitution of intermediate phenotypes such as anger traits. The aim of this study was to test the interaction between nine candidate genes and childhood maltreatment in modulating anger-related traits in 875 adult suicide attempters. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were used to examine anger traits and traumatic childhood experiences, respectively. The functional polymorphism of the catecholamine-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) gene Val158Met significantly modulated the association between sexual abuse and anger-trait level (P = 0.001). In the presence of sexual abuse, individuals carrying the Val high-activity allele displayed greater disposition toward anger than individuals homozygous for the Met allele (P = 0.0003). Notably, none of the serotonin-related genes influenced the effect of childhood abuse on anger traits. The results of the present study suggest that anger-trait level is influenced by the interaction between childhood abuse and functional polymorphism in the COMT gene. This study was carried out in a population with a high frequency of childhood abuse and a high disposition toward anger, and replication in healthy subjects is needed.
愤怒相关特质既受基因调控，也受早期环境因素影响。童年期虐待和基因都可能导致易患自杀行为，其潜在机制可能是通过影响愤怒特质等中间表型的构成。本研究旨在检测 9 个候选基因与童年期虐待在调节 875 名成年自杀未遂者愤怒相关特质中的相互作用。采用状态-特质愤怒表达量表和儿童期创伤问卷分别评估愤怒特质和创伤性童年经历。儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）基因 Val158Met 的功能多态性显著调节了性虐待与愤怒特质水平之间的关联（P = 0.001）。在存在性虐待的情况下，携带 Val 高活性等位基因的个体比携带 Met 等位基因纯合子的个体表现出更大的愤怒倾向（P = 0.0003）。值得注意的是，没有一个与 5-羟色胺相关的基因影响童年虐待对愤怒特质的影响。本研究表明，愤怒特质水平受童年虐待和 COMT 基因功能多态性相互作用的影响。本研究在一个童年期虐待发生率高且易患愤怒的人群中进行，需要在健康人群中进行复制。
