A family-based association study of the HTR1B gene in eating disorders

• Main Authors: Sandra Hernández, Beatriz Camarena, Laura González, Alejandro Caballero, Griselda Flores, Alejandro Aguilar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
• Subjects: Anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; serotonin receptor; association; anxiety
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462016000300239&lng=en&tlng=en

Objective: To explore the association of three polymorphisms of the serotonin receptor 1Dβ gene (HTR1B) in the etiology of eating disorders and their relationship with clinical characteristics. Methods: We analyzed the G861C, A-161T, and A1180G polymorphisms of the HTR1B gene through a family-based association test (FBAT) in 245 nuclear families. The sample was stratified into anorexia nervosa (AN) spectrum and bulimia nervosa (BN) spectrum. In addition, we performed a quantitative FBAT analysis of anxiety severity, depression severity, and Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorders Scale (YBC-EDS) in the AN and BN-spectrum groups. Results: FBAT analysis of the A-161T polymorphism found preferential transmission of allele A-161 in the overall sample. This association was stronger when the sample was stratified by spectrums, showing transmission disequilibrium between the A-161 allele and BN spectrum (z = 2.871, p = 0.004). Quantitative trait analysis showed an association between severity of anxiety symptoms and the C861 allele in AN-spectrum participants (z = 2.871, p = 0.004). We found no associations on analysis of depression severity or preoccupation and ritual scores in AN or BN-spectrum participants. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggest a role of the HTR1B gene in susceptibility to development of BN subtypes. Furthermore, this gene might have an impact on the severity of anxiety in AN-spectrum patients.