glucocorticoid hormone cortisol, which plays a key role in a negative feedback loop that inhibits further hormone secretion by the hypothalamus, dampens HPA axis activity, and helps to return the body to homeostasis. This inhibitory signaling is mediated by glucocorticoid receptor proteins encoded by the NR3C1 gene (DeRijk et al. 2008). Dysregulation in glucocorticoid signaling process can disrupt the response of the HPA axis to environmental stress, and has been implicated in a wide array of behavioral phenotypes including child antisocial behavior (Hawes et al. 2009). Polymorphisms in NR3C1 have been associated with glucocorticoid resistance and reduced HPA axis negative feedback (DeRijk et al. 2008) and adolescent alcohol abuse (Desrivieres et al. 2011). Therefore, it is possible that the association between alcohol abuse and the NR3C1 polymorphism among AAs who carried the minor allele(s) that possibly led to dysregulated HPA axis function and subsequent response to environmental stress was mitigated when receiving interventions that targeted their socioemotional developmental skills and substance use-related skills and knowledge.
