Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2019.219

GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: ANALYSES OF THE OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR, RETINOIC ACID RECEPTOR-RELATED ORPHAN RECEPTOR A AND CANNABINOID RECEPTOR 1 GENES

Sabina Kučukalić orcid.org/0000-0003-3008-528X ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Center University Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elma Ferić Bojić ; Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Romana Babić ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Esmina Avdibegović ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragan Babić ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ferid Agani ; Faculty of Medicine, University Hasan Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
Miro Jakovljević ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abdulah Kučukalić ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Center University Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma Bravo Mehmedbašić ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Center University Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Emina Šabić Džananović ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Center University Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Damir Marjanović ; Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nermina Kravic ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Marko Pavlović ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Branka Aukst Margetic ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
Nenad Jaksic ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ana Cima Franc ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dusko Rudan ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Shpend Haxhibeqiri ; Institute of Kosovo Forensic Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
Aferdita Goci Uka ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
Blerina Hoxha ; Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
Valdete Haxhibeqiri ; Department of Biochemistry, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
Mirnesa Muminović Umihanić ; Community Health Center Zivinice, Zivinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Osman Sinanović ; Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nada Božina ; Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Christiane Ziegler ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Christiane Wolf ; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Wurzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
Bodo Warrings ; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Wurzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
Katharina Domschke ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Jürgen Deckert ; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Wurzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
Alma Džubur Kulenović ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Center University Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Background: Exposure to life-threatening events is common and everyone will most likely experience this type of trauma during their
ifetime. Reactions to these events are highly heterogeneous and seems to be influenced by genes as well. Some individuals will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while others will not. In this study, our aim was to analyze the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene (rs53576 and rs2254298), the RAR-related orphan receptor A (RORA) gene (rs8042149) and the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene (rs1049353) and PTSD. All candidate genes have been previously associated with stress related disorders and the reaction to traumatic events.
Subjects and methods: Participants (N=719) have been exposed to war-related trauma during the war in South-Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo). We correlated the presence and absence of current and lifetime PTSD as well as PTSD severity (Clinician Administered PTSD scale (CAPS)) and current psychopathology (Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) score) with the mentioned SNPs. DNA was isolated from whole blood and genotyped for OXTR rs2254298 and rs53576 following previously published protocols, for RORA rs8042149 via PCR-RFLP and CNR1 rs1049353 via KASP.
Results: Nominally significant results were found for OXTR rs53576 in connection with the CAPS and BSI scores within lifetime PTSD patients. The additive allelic model indicated that G allele carriers achieved lower CAPS (p=0.0090) and BSI (p=0.0408) scores than participants carrying one or two copies of the A allele. These results did not withstand correction for multiple tests. No significant results were observed for OXTR rs2254298, RORA rs8042149 and CNR1 rs1049353 although the results for RORA showed a slight tendency that rs8042149 may influence the level of BSI scores in current PTSD patients.
Conclusions: This study points to a role of the OXTR gene in PTSD and the related psychopathology following war related trauma.

Keywords

posttraumatic stress disorder; oxytocin receptor gene; RAR-related orphan receptor A; cannabinoid receptor 1

Hrčak ID:

235149

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/235149

Publication date:

9.7.2019.

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