Association of catecholamine-O-methyltransferase and 5-HTTLPR genotype with eating disorder-related behavior and attitudes in females with eating disorders

Abstract

We found associations between the COMT and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms and specific clinical, behavioral and attitudinal traits of eating disorders. These polymorphisms may predispose their carriers to exhibit certain symptoms of eating disorders or confer a general risk for more severe forms of these disorders.

Association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and eating disorders: A meta‐analytic study

“…A few studies examining the association between EDs and 5-HTTLPR were excluded because they were not in case-control design. [36][37][38] The proportions of alleles and genotypes of control samples in all included studies were consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. First, the percentage of the S allele was compared between patients with AN and controls in seven studies (see Fig.…”

The 5‐HTTLPR polymorphism and eating disorders: A meta‐analysis

“…Of these, eight studies included AN samples [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] and seven included BN samples. 22,24,27,28,[32][33][34] Three additional studies have been included, two being performed on samples of eating disorder patients (AN and BN considered together) 23,35 and one being performed on a sample of BED patients. 36 The methodological quality of the included studies according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale 12 is shown in Table 2.…”

“…27 Random effects indicated a mild association (Z 5 2.14, p 5 .03), the between-study heterogeneity remaining significant (v 2 5 33.78, df 5 13, p 5 .001, I 2 5 62%). In a third sensitivity analysis we removed all the studies plausibly contributing to between-study heterogeneity: the studies with virtual controls, 28,31,34,35 the study on BED 36 and the study performed on Japanese population. 27 Random effects indicated no association (Z 5 1.25, p 5 .21), the between-study heterogeneity remaining significant (v 2 5 23.07, df 5 8, p 5 .003, I 2 5 65%).…”

“…We firstly performed a meta-analysis including all the studies on AN, all the studies on BN and three additional studies, two in which AN and BN were considered together 23,35 and one performed on a sample of BED patients. 36 Each of the three studies in which AN and BN samples were both present and separately analyzed 24,27,28 was considered as two separated studies.…”

Genetic epidemiology, endophenotypes, and eating disorder classification

“…[82][83][84] Interestingly, shared genetic variance between negative emotionality and both body dissatisfaction and weight preoccupation were limited. 67 Drive for thinness is associated with potentially biologically plausible mechanisms, where elevated levels are associated with carriers of the deletion polymorphism of the serotonin transporter promoter 5-HTTLPR 85 and has been a valuable covariate in linkage analyses. 86 In women recovered from bulimia-type AN, [ 18 F]altanserin binding potential and drive for thinness were negatively correlated in several cortical regions, suggesting that altered 5-HT neuronal system activity persisted.…”