No Effect on Body Dissatisfaction of an Interaction between 5-HTTLPR Genotype and Neuroticism in a Young Adult Korean Population

Genomics of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Related Disorders: What the Clinician Needs to Know

A wealth of evidence has shown that genetics plays a major role in susceptibility to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and all of its related disorders. Several large-scale, collaborative efforts using modern genomic methods are beginning to reveal the genetic architecture of these traits and identify long-sought risk genes. In this article, we summarize current OCD and related disorder genomic knowledge and explain how to communicate this information to patients and their families. The article concludes with a discussion of how genomic discovery in OCD and related disorders can inform our understanding of disease etiology and provide novel targets for therapeutic development.

Body dysmorphic disorder and self-esteem: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is associated with low self-esteem. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the strength of the cross-sectional relationship between BDD symptom severity and global self-esteem in individuals with BDD, mentally healthy controls, community or student samples, and cosmetic surgery patients. Moreover, the role of depressive symptom severity in this relationship and other moderating factors were investigated.

METHODS

A keyword-based literature search was performed to identify studies in which BDD symptoms and global self-esteem were assessed. Random effects meta-analysis of Fisher's z-transformed correlations and partial correlations controlling for the influence of depressive symptom severity was conducted. In addition to meta-analysis of the observed effects, we corrected the individual correlations for variance restrictions to address varying ranges of BDD symptom severity across samples.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies with a total of 6278 participants were included. A moderately negative relationship between BDD symptom severity and global self-esteem was found (r = -.42, CI = [-.48, -.35] for uncorrected correlations, r = -.45, CI = [-.51, -.39] for artifact-corrected correlations). A meta-analysis of partial correlations revealed that depressive symptom severity could partly account for the aforementioned relationship (pr = -.20, CI = [-.25, -.15] for uncorrected partial correlations, pr = -.23, CI = [-.28, -.17] for artifact-corrected partial correlations). The sample type (e.g., individuals with BDD, mentally healthy controls, or community samples) and diagnosis of BDD appeared to moderate the relationship only before artifact correction of effect sizes, whereas all moderators were non-significant in the meta-analysis of artifact-corrected correlations.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate that low self-esteem is an important hallmark of BDD beyond the influence of depressive symptoms. It appears that negative evaluation in BDD is not limited to appearance but also extends to other domains of the self. Altogether, our findings emphasize the importance of addressing self-esteem and corresponding core beliefs in prevention and treatment of BDD.

Genetics of OCD and Related Disorders; Searching for Shared Factors

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and several other obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs) including hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), skin picking disorder, trichotillomania and the newly arising public health conditions of online gaming and gambling disorders, under the umbrella of Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI), not only share some common phenotypes, but there is evidence to suggest share some genetic risk factors. The simple fact that these disorders segregate within families points to this notion. However, the current data are still scarce. This chapter focuses on identifying the shared genetic factors. To address this question, a systematic review of the literature investigating genetic findings in OCD and OCRDs including PUI was conducted, with a focus on their genetic similarities. Greater knowledge of the specific genetic risks shared among OCRDs would be expected to open new avenues in the understanding of the biological mechanisms causing the development of these phenotypes, as well as provide opportunities to develop new animal and cellular models testing new therapy avenues.

5HTTLPR Genetic Variant and Major Depressive Disorder: A Review

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a disease that involves biological, psychological, and social interactions. Studies have shown the importance of genetics contribution to MDD development. The SCL6A4 protein (5HTTLPR) functions transporting serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood and emotion, to the synaptic cleft. Hence, this study seeks, through a literature review, a better comprehension of the 5HTTLPR genetic variant association with MDD. For this purpose, a search was performed on the Virtual Health Library Portal for articles that related 5HTTLPR to MDD. Most of the articles found were conducted in the American continent, with one (1) study implemented in Brazil. 5HTTLPR associations were found regarding changes in the nervous system, pharmacology, and risk factors seen in MDD patients. When verifying the allelic distribution, the S allele had a higher frequency in most of the studies analyzed. Despite not finding a commonality in the different studies, the tremendous genetic variation found demonstrates the MDD complexity. For this reason, further studies in diverse populations should be conducted to assist in the understanding and treatment of the disease.

The effects of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms on neurostructural changes in major depressive disorder

The serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). We aimed to investigate the effects of genetic variants of the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and their interactions with MDD on cortical volume and white matter integrity. Ninety-five patients with MDD and 65 healthy participants aged 20-65 years were recruited. The subjects were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and scanned with T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging. The gray matter volumes of 24 gyri in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices and the fractional anisotropy values of nine white matter tracts in both hemispheres were determined. In the pooled sample of subjects from both groups, 5-HTTLPR L-allele carriers had significantly decreased cortical volume in the right anterior midcingulate gyrus compared to S-allele homozygotes. A significant effect of the interaction of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and MDD on the fractional anisotropy values of the right uncinate fasciculus was observed. Our results suggested that these genetic polymorphisms play important roles in the neurostructural changes of emotion-processing regions in subjects with MDD.

Personality and body image: A systematic review

This study systematically reviewed the evidence for personality as a correlate of body image. Electronic databases and reference lists were searched in May 2016 for studies reporting an association between at least one dimension of personality and at least one component of negative body image. Twenty-six studies (33 discrete samples) met inclusion criteria. Sixteen samples were coded as medium-high quality. The results indicated that negative body image was associated with higher levels of Neuroticism and lower levels of Extraversion. Agreeableness was not related to body image, and findings for Conscientiousness and Openness were indeterminate. After taking study quality into account, negative body image was also associated with lower levels of Conscientiousness. Neuroticism was associated with negative body image in both women and men. Sex moderation effects for Extraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness were indeterminate. Large-sample, prospective studies of personality and body image are recommended.

Association between the 5-HTTLPR Genotype and Childhood Characteristics in Mood Disorders

Objective

The features of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly associated with adult mood disorders. Some genetic factors may be common to both ADHD and mood disorders underlie the association between these two phenotypes. The present study aimed to determine whether a genetic role may be played by the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in the childhood ADHD features of adult patients with mood disorders.

Methods

The present study included 232 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 154 patients with bipolar disorder (BPD), and 1,288 normal controls. Childhood ADHD features were assessed with the Korean version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-K). The total score and the scores of three factors (impulsivity, inattention, and mood instability) from the WURS-K were analyzed to determine whether they were associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype.

Results

In the BPD type II group, the 5-HTTLPR genotype was significantly associated with the total score (p=0.029) and the impulsivity factor (p=0.004) on the WURS-K. However, the inattention and mood instability factors were not associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype. BPD type I, MDD and normal control groups did not exhibit any significant associations between the WURS-K scores and the 5-HTTLPR genotype.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the 5-HTTLPR genotype may play a role in the impulsivity component of childhood ADHD in patients with BPD type II. Because of a small sample size and a single candidate gene, further studies investigating other candidate genes using a larger sample are warranted to determine any common genetic links.