Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tiigi 78, Tartu 50410, Estonia.
J Psychiatr Res. 2012 Jan;46(1):38-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.09.013. Epub 2011 Oct 22.
Adverse life events have been shown to predict weight fluctuations and dietary restraint, as well as eating disorders during adolescence or early adulthood. Since the s-allele carriers of the 5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) are biologically more reactive to stress related stimuli, we aimed to explore whether the eating disturbances are predicted by environmental stressors and moderated by the 5-HTTLPR genotype. The sample was based on the younger cohort of the Estonian Children Personality, Behaviour and Health Study and included those participating in its second and third wave. The history of stressful life events was self-reported at age 15. Data on eating behaviour and attitudes, anxiety, impulsivity and depressiveness were collected at age 18. The effect of the adverse life events on binge eating and on drive for thinness was found to be moderated by the 5-HTTLPR. Adolescent girls who at age 15 had reported a history of frequent adverse life events had elevated scores in EDI-2 Bulimia subscale at age 18 if they were carrying the s-allele. The effect of the s-allele on binge eating was even more pronounced when solely the experience of sexual abuse was considered. The interaction effect of the 5-HTTLPR and the past sexual abuse was also observed on drive for thinness. These data give further support to the idea that adverse life events in childhood may heighten susceptibility to serotonergic dysregulation following stress, and suggest that in individuals vulnerable to eating disorders this may result in disturbed eating behaviours.
生活事件不良已被证明可预测体重波动和饮食克制，以及青少年或成年早期的饮食失调。由于 5-羟色胺转运体基因连锁多态区（5-HTTLPR）的 s-等位基因携带者对与压力相关的刺激反应更强烈，我们旨在探讨环境应激源是否可预测进食障碍，并受 5-HTTLPR 基因型调节。该样本基于爱沙尼亚儿童人格、行为和健康研究的年轻队列，包括那些参加其第二和第三波研究的人群。15 岁时，通过自我报告记录生活应激事件史。18 岁时，收集有关饮食行为和态度、焦虑、冲动和抑郁的数据。研究发现，不良生活事件对暴食和消瘦的驱动力有调节作用，受 5-HTTLPR 调节。如果携带 s-等位基因，15 岁时报告有频繁生活不良事件史的青少年女孩，在 18 岁时 EDI-2 暴食分量表得分升高。如果只考虑性虐待经历，s-等位基因对暴食的影响更加明显。5-HTTLPR 和过去性虐待的交互作用也对消瘦驱动力产生影响。这些数据进一步支持了这样的观点，即儿童时期的不良生活事件可能会增加压力后 5-羟色胺能失调的易感性，并表明在易患饮食失调的个体中，这可能导致进食行为紊乱。
