The CRHR1 gene, trauma exposure, and alcoholism risk: a test of G × E effects.
- Authors
- Ray, L A; Sehl, M; Bujarski, S; Hutchison, K; Blaine, S; Enoch, M-A
- Year
- 2013
- Journal
- Genes, brain, and behavior
- PMID
- 23473364
- DOI
- 10.1111/gbb.12032
- PMCID
- PMC4139150
The corticotropin-releasing hormone type I receptor (CRHR1) gene has been implicated in the liability for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly under conditions of stress. On the basis of the hypothesized effects of CRHR1 variation on stress reactivity, measures of adulthood traumatic stress exposure were analyzed for their interaction with CRHR1 haplotypes and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in predicting the risk for alcoholism. Phenotypic data on 2533 non-related Caucasian individuals (1167 alcoholics and 1366 controls) were culled from the publically available Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment genome-wide association study. Genotypes were available for 19 tag SNPs. Logistic regression models examined the interaction between CRHR1 haplotypes/SNPs and adulthood traumatic stress exposure in predicting alcoholism risk. Two haplotype blocks spanned CRHR1. Haplotype analyses identified one haplotype in the proximal block 1 (P = 0.029) and two haplotypes in the distal block 2 (P = 0.026, 0.042) that showed nominally significant (corrected P < 0.025) genotype × traumatic stress interactive effects on the likelihood of developing alcoholism. The block 1 haplotype effect was driven by SNPs rs110402 (P = 0.019) and rs242924 (P = 0.019). In block 2, rs17689966 (P = 0.018) showed significant and rs173365 (P = 0.026) showed nominally significant, gene × environment (G × E) effects on alcoholism status. This study extends the literature on the interplay between CRHR1 variation and alcoholism, in the context of exposure to traumatic stress. These findings are consistent with the hypothesized role of the extra hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor system dysregulation in the initiation and maintenance of alcoholism. Molecular and experimental studies are needed to more fully understand the mechanisms of risk and protection conferred by genetic variation at the identified loci.
CRHR1 haplotype block structure in CaucasiansThe figure was generated using Haploview software (Barrett et al. 2005). Haplotype block 1 extends from SNP rs4792886 to rs242924 (8 kb). Haplotype block 2 extends from SNP rs242942 to rs1876829 (19 kb). The numbers in the squares (0 – 100) refer to pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) measured as D’. Haplotype blocks were defined using a setting of average pairwise D’ of ≥ 80. The darker the square, the greater the LD.
LLM interpretation
This is a linkage disequilibrium (LD) plot generated by Haploview showing the haplotype block structure of the CRHR1 gene in Caucasians. The visualization uses a color-coded heatmap where darker red squares indicate higher pairwise LD (measured as D'), with numerical values from 0 to 100 provided in the squares. Two distinct haplotype blocks are outlined in black: Block 1 (8 kb) spanning from SNP rs4792886 to rs242924, and Block 2 (19 kb) spanning from SNP rs242942 to rs1876829.
Percentage of individuals with a given block1 haplotype and trauma exposure status who meet criteria for alcohol dependencePercentages were calculated from raw counts for each haplotype, trauma status, and alcohol dependence category. For example, of those individuals with the H1/H1 diplotype who were exposed to trauma, 63% were found to be alcohol dependent. A smaller percentage (34%) of those individuals who carried the H1/H1 diplotype and were not exposed to trauma were alcohol dependent.
LLM interpretation
This grouped bar chart shows the relative frequency of alcohol dependence across three CRHR1 Haplotype Block 1 diplotypes (H2/H2, H1/H2, H1/H1), stratified by trauma exposure. In the "trauma" group, the percentage of alcohol-dependent individuals is higher than the control group for all diplotypes. Conversely, in the "no trauma" group, the control group shows a higher relative frequency than the alcohol-dependent group across all diplotypes.
Percentage of individuals with a given block 2 haplotype and trauma exposure status who suffer from alcohol dependencePercentages were calculated from raw counts for each haplotype, trauma status, and alcohol dependence category. We observe that 56% of individuals who carried the H1/H1 diplotype and were exposed to trauma were found to be alcohol dependent. This percentage is slightly smaller than the percentage (62%) of individuals who carried the H4/H4 reference diplotype and were exposed to trauma who were found to be alcohol dependent. In the absence of trauma, 33% of individuals carrying the H1/H1 diplotype were found to be alcohol dependent.
LLM interpretation
This grouped bar chart shows the relative frequency of alcohol dependence versus control groups across three CRHR1 haplotype block 2 diplotypes (H4/H4, H1/H4, H1/H1), categorized by trauma exposure status. In the "trauma" group, the relative frequency of alcohol dependence is higher than the control for all diplotypes, whereas in the "no trauma" group, the control frequency is consistently higher than that of alcohol dependence. The y-axis represents relative frequency from 0% to 80%, and no statistical significance markers are present on the chart.
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| 900 kb inversion polymorphism local | variant |
| ACTH | drug |
| addiction | phenotype |
| adolescents | cohort |
| adolescent sample | cohort |
| adult drinkers local | cohort |
| Adulthood traumatic stress exposure local | phenotype |
| Adults without trauma local | cohort |
| adult trauma exposure local | phenotype |
| African American | cohort |
| African heritage local | cohort |
| alcohol | phenotype |
| alcohol abuse | phenotype |
| alcohol dependence | phenotype |
| Alcoholic cases local | cohort |
| alcoholism | phenotype |
| alcoholism risk | phenotype |
| Alcoholism susceptibility local | phenotype |
| alcohol self-administration | phenotype |
| Alcohol Use | phenotype |
| Alcohol Use Disorder | phenotype |
| alcohol use disorders | phenotype |
| anxiety | phenotype |
| block 1 | variant |
| Block 1 haplotype local | variant |
| block 2 local | variant |
| Brain-specific knockout mice local | cohort |
| cases | cohort |
| Caucasian cohort | cohort |
| Caucasians | cohort |
| Caucasian sample | cohort |
| childhood trauma | phenotype |
| Childhood trauma cohort local | cohort |
| chronic alcoholism | phenotype |
| chronic stress exposure local | phenotype |
| Chronic stress exposure local | phenotype |
| cocaine | phenotype |
| COGEND | cohort |
| Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) | cohort |
| control animals | cohort |
| controls | cohort |
| cortisol | drug |
| CRF | drug |
| CRF system dysregulation local | phenotype |
| CRH | gene |
| CRHBP | gene |
| CRHR1 | gene |
| CRHR1 antagonist local | drug |
| CRHR1 haplotype local | variant |
| CRHR1 haplotypes local | variant |
| CRHR1 SNP local | variant |
| CRHR1 SNPs local | variant |
| depression | phenotype |
| dexamethasone | drug |
| disease | phenotype |
| drug dependence | phenotype |
| drugs | drug |
| Elevated cortisol response local | phenotype |
| escalation of alcohol intake local | phenotype |
| European population | cohort |
| extended amygdala | anatomy |
| extra hypothalamic CRF system local | anatomy |
| Extra hypothalamic CRF system local | drug |
| Fkbp5 | gene |
| FSCD | cohort |
| H1 local | variant |
| H1/H1 local | variant |
| H1/H1 diplotype local | variant |
| H1 haplotype local | variant |
| H1 haplotype block 2 local | variant |
| H2 local | variant |
| H2/H2 diplotype local | variant |
| H2 haplotype local | variant |
| H3 local | variant |
| H4 local | variant |
| H4/H4 local | variant |
| H7 local | variant |
| haplotype block 1 local | variant |
| haplotype H1 local | variant |
| heavy drinking | phenotype |
| HPA axis | anatomy |
| hypothalamus | anatomy |
| Illumina Human1M array | drug |
| lifetime risk of alcoholism local | phenotype |
| major depressive disorder | phenotype |
| MGC57346 local | gene |
| mood disorders | phenotype |
| neglect | phenotype |
| nicotine | drug |
| Non-dependent controls local | cohort |
| non-physical or sexual trauma local | phenotype |
| Non-physical or sexual trauma local | phenotype |
| No trauma group local | cohort |
| physical abuse | phenotype |
| physical trauma | phenotype |
| posttraumatic stress disorder | phenotype |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | phenotype |
| Primary schizophrenia patients local | cohort |
| psychiatric functioning local | phenotype |
| rape | phenotype |
| recent stress exposure local | phenotype |
| Recent stress exposure local | phenotype |
| Relapse-like drinking | phenotype |
| rs110402 local | variant |
| rs16940655 local | variant |
| rs16940686 local | variant |
| rs173365 local | variant |
| rs17689966 local | variant |
| rs1876829 local | variant |
| rs1876831 local | variant |
| rs242924 local | variant |
| rs242938 local | variant |
| rs242942 local | variant |
| rs3811939 local | variant |
| rs4792882 local | variant |
| rs4792886 local | variant |
| rs7209436 local | variant |
| SAGE | cohort |
| SAGE dataset | cohort |
| schizophrenia | phenotype |
| sex | phenotype |
| sexual trauma | phenotype |
| SSACD local | cohort |
| SSAGA | cohort |
| SSAND local | cohort |
| stressful life events | phenotype |
| stress-induced augmentation of alcohol intake local | phenotype |
| Stress-induced craving | phenotype |
| stress-induced reinstatement | phenotype |
| stress response | phenotype |
| TAT haplotype local | variant |
| trauma | phenotype |
| Trauma exposed individuals local | cohort |
| trauma exposure | phenotype |
| traumatic experiences | phenotype |
| traumatic stress | phenotype |
| Worse psychiatric functioning local | phenotype |
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