Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRHR-2) gene is associated with decreased risk and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder in women.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) system has been implicated in a variety of anxiety and mood-based symptoms and disorders. CRH receptor-2 (CRHR-2) plays a role in attenuating biological responses to stressful life events and trauma, making the CRHR-2 gene a strong candidate to study in relationship to PTSD.

METHODS:

The sample was 491 trauma-exposed white non-Hispanic veterans and their cohabitating intimate partners assessed via structured interview for lifetime DSM-IV PTSD; just over 60% met criteria for the disorder. Thirty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in and near CRHR-2, obtained from an array of 2.5 million markers, were tested for association with PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity in the whole sample and in men and women separately.

RESULTS:

Ten SNPs showed nominally significant evidence of association with PTSD in the full sample and two SNPs (rs8192496 and rs2190242) were significant after permutation-based multiple testing correction (uncorrected ps = .0004 and .0005, odds ratios = .60 and .58, respectively). Analyses stratified by sex revealed that the effect was specific to women, who comprised 35% of the sample (uncorrected ps = .0003 and .0002, odds ratios = .41 and .35, respectively). Two additional SNPs (rs2267715 and rs2284218) also showed significant association with PTSD in women (both uncorrected ps = .001, both odds ratios = .48).

CONCLUSIONS:

Results suggest that CRHR-2 variants may affect risk for PTSD in women by attenuating the stress response and reducing symptoms of the disorder.

• Authors: Erika J Wolf, Karen S Mitchell, Mark W Logue, Clinton T Baldwin, Annemarie F Reardon, Donald E Humphries, Mark W Miller
• Journal: Depression and anxiety (Depress Anxiety) Vol. 30 Issue 12 Pg. 1161-9 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1520-6394 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24123648 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Chemical References

• CRF receptor type 2
• Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Female
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
• Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (genetics)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Sex Factors
• Spouses (psychology)
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic (genetics, psychology)
• Veterans (psychology)
• White People (genetics, psychology)
• Young Adult