The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 195: 39-45. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.054775
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
This Article
This is an Open Access article
Right arrow Full text (free)
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Goodyer, I. M.
Right arrow Articles by Herbert, J.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Goodyer, I. M.
Right arrow Articles by Herbert, J.

Serotonin transporter genotype, morning cortisol and subsequent depression in adolescents

Ian M. Goodyer, MD, FRCPsych, FmedSci and Alison Bacon, PhD

Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

Maria Ban, PhD

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge

Tim Croudace, PhD

Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

Joe Herbert, PhD

Department of Physiology, Development and Neurosciences and the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge, UK.

Correspondence: Ian M. Goodyer, Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK. Email: ig104{at}cam.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

None.

Funding

This work was funded by a Wellcome Trust programme grant awarded to I.M.G. and J.H. T.J.C. is supported by a Career Scientist Award from the Department of Health.

Background

The short (s) allele of the serotonin transporter gene promoter (5-HTTLPR) may be associated with exposure to social adversities and the subsequent onset of depressive illness in adulthood.

Aims

To test in adolescents at high risk for depression whether the short ‘s’ allele is associated with levels of morning cortisol and the subsequent onset of a depressive episode.

Method

High-risk adolescents (n = 403) were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR. Salivary samples were obtained on four consecutive school days within 1 h of waking from 393 (97.5%) individuals and 367 (91%) underwent a mental state reassessment at 12 months.

Results

Multilevel analysis revealed higher levels of salivary cortisol in short allele carriers (s/s>s/l>l/l). A subsequent episode of depression was increased in those with higher cortisol and the ‘s’ allele, and independently by depressive symptoms at entry, in both genders.

Conclusions

The short allele of 5-HTTLPR may moderate the association between morning cortisol and the subsequent onset of a depressive episode.