Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Psychosom Med. 2013 Jun;75(5):471-7. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e318292922a. Epub 2013 May 30.
A functional promoter polymorphism in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders and also moderates the association between early-life stress and mental disorders, which often co-occur with cardiovascular disease. No study has examined the relationship between MAOA genotype, childhood trauma, and subclinical atherosclerosis. The objective of this investigation was to examine whether childhood trauma moderates the association between MAOA genotype and subclinical atherosclerosis.
A sample including 289 middle-aged male twin pairs was studied. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) using ultrasound. Childhood trauma, before age 18 years, was measured with the Early Trauma Inventory and included physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as general trauma. Generalized estimating equation models were used to test the main and interactive effects of the MAOA genotype and each domain of childhood trauma on FMD, adjusting for known risk factors.
General trauma was the most prevalent childhood trauma (28.4%), followed by physical abuse (25.0%), emotional abuse (19.4%), and sexual abuse (11.6%). MAOA genotype was not associated with any domain of childhood trauma. There was no significant evidence for a main effect for the MAOA genotype (β = .02, p = .82) or childhood trauma (.005 < β < .10, p > .54) FMD. However, a significant interaction was observed between MAOA genotype and physical (β interaction = .37, p = .026) or emotional abuse (β interaction = .43, p = .025) on subclinical atherosclerosis.
Childhood trauma modulates the impact of MAOA variant on subclinical atherosclerosis, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
单胺氧化酶 A（MAOA）基因中的功能性启动子多态性与神经精神障碍有关，也调节了早期生活应激与精神障碍之间的关联，而精神障碍通常与心血管疾病同时发生。目前尚无研究探讨 MAOA 基因型、儿童期创伤与亚临床动脉粥样硬化之间的关系。本研究旨在探讨儿童期创伤是否调节 MAOA 基因型与亚临床动脉粥样硬化之间的关联。
研究纳入了 289 对中年男性双胞胎。使用超声检测肱动脉血流介导的扩张（FMD）来评估亚临床动脉粥样硬化。儿童期创伤（18 岁之前）使用早期创伤量表进行测量，包括身体、情感和性虐待以及一般创伤。采用广义估计方程模型，调整已知的危险因素后，检验 MAOA 基因型和儿童期创伤各领域对 FMD 的主效应和交互作用。
一般创伤是最常见的儿童期创伤（28.4%），其次是身体虐待（25.0%）、情感虐待（19.4%）和性虐待（11.6%）。MAOA 基因型与儿童期创伤的任何领域均无显著相关性。MAOA 基因型（β=0.02，p=0.82）或儿童期创伤（0.005<β<0.10，p>0.54）对 FMD 均无显著主效应。然而，在 MAOA 基因型与身体（β交互作用=0.37，p=0.026）或情感虐待（β交互作用=0.43，p=0.025）之间观察到显著的交互作用。
儿童期创伤调节了 MAOA 变异对亚临床动脉粥样硬化的影响，与传统心血管危险因素无关。
