Dataset Information

Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Despite established clinical associations among major depression (MD), alcohol dependence (AD), and alcohol consumption (AC), the nature of the causal relationship between them is not completely understood. We leveraged genome-wide data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and UK Biobank to test for the presence of shared genetic mechanisms and causal relationships among MD, AD, and AC. METHODS:Linkage disequilibrium score regression and Mendelian randomization (MR) were performed using genome-wide data from the PGC (MD: 135 458 cases and 344 901 controls; AD: 10 206 cases and 28 480 controls) and UK Biobank (AC-frequency: 438 308 individuals; AC-quantity: 307 098 individuals). RESULTS:Positive genetic correlation was observed between MD and AD (rgMD-AD = + 0.47, P = 6.6 × 10-10). AC-quantity showed positive genetic correlation with both AD (rgAD-AC quantity = + 0.75, P = 1.8 × 10-14) and MD (rgMD-AC quantity = + 0.14, P = 2.9 × 10-7), while there was negative correlation of AC-frequency with MD (rgMD-AC frequency = -0.17, P = 1.5 × 10-10) and a non-significant result with AD. MR analyses confirmed the presence of pleiotropy among these four traits. However, the MD-AD results reflect a mediated-pleiotropy mechanism (i.e. causal relationship) with an effect of MD on AD (beta = 0.28, P = 1.29 × 10-6). There was no evidence for reverse causation. CONCLUSION:This study supports a causal role for genetic liability of MD on AD based on genetic datasets including thousands of individuals. Understanding mechanisms underlying MD-AD comorbidity addresses important public health concerns and has the potential to facilitate prevention and intervention efforts.

SUBMITTER: Polimanti R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6565601 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium.

Polimanti Renato R Peterson Roseann E RE Ong Jue-Sheng JS MacGregor Stuart S Edwards Alexis C AC Clarke Toni-Kim TK Frank Josef J Gerring Zachary Z Gillespie Nathan A NA Lind Penelope A PA Maes Hermine H HH Martin Nicholas G NG Mbarek Hamdi H Medland Sarah E SE Streit Fabian F Agrawal Arpana A Edenberg Howard J HJ Kendler Kenneth S KS Lewis Cathryn M CM Sullivan Patrick F PF Wray Naomi R NR Gelernter Joel J Derks Eske M EM

Psychological medicine 20190401 7

<h4>Background</h4>Despite established clinical associations among major depression (MD), alcohol dependence (AD), and alcohol consumption (AC), the nature of the causal relationship between them is not completely understood. We leveraged genome-wide data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and UK Biobank to test for the presence of shared genetic mechanisms and causal relationships among MD, AD, and AC.<h4>Methods</h4>Linkage disequilibrium score regression and Mendelian randomizatio ...[more]

PMID: 30929657

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Project description:ImportanceAlcohol dependence (AD) and major depression (MD) are leading causes of disability that often co-occur. Genetic epidemiologic data have shown that AD and MD share a common possible genetic cause. The molecular nature of this shared genetic basis is poorly understood.ObjectivesTo detect genetic risk variants for comorbid AD and MD and to determine whether polygenic risk alleles are shared with neuropsychiatric traits or subcortical brain volumes.Design, setting, and participantsThis genome-wide association study analyzed criterion counts of comorbid AD and MD in African American and European American data sets collected as part of the Yale-Penn study of the genetics of drug and alcohol dependence from February 14, 1999, to January 13, 2015. After excluding participants never exposed to alcohol or with missing information for any diagnostic criterion, genome-wide association studies were performed on 2 samples (the Yale-Penn 1 and Yale-Penn 2 samples) totaling 4653 African American participants and 3169 European American participants (analyzed separately). Tests were performed to determine whether polygenic risk scores derived from potentially related traits in European American participants could be used to estimate comorbid AD and MD.Main outcomes and measuresComorbid criterion counts (ranging from 0 to 14) for AD (7 criteria) and MD (9 criteria, scaled to 7) as defined by the DSM-IV.ResultsOf the 7822 participants (3342 women and 4480 men; mean [SD] age, 40.1 [10.7] years), the median comorbid criterion count was 6.2 (interquartile range, 2.3-10.9). Under the linear regression model, rs139438618 at the semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A [OMIM 603961]) locus was significantly associated with AD and MD comorbidity in African American participants in the Yale-Penn 1 sample (β = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.57-1.20; P = 2.76 × 10-8). In the independent Yale-Penn 2 sample, the association was also significant (β = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.39-1.28; P = 2.06 × 10-4). Meta-analysis of the 2 samples yielded a more robust association (β = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.61-1.12; P = 2.41 × 10-11). There was no significant association identified in European American participants. Analyses of polygenic risk scores showed that individuals with a higher risk of neuroticism (β = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.50-1.52) or depressive symptoms (β = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.32-1.42) and a lower level of subjective well-being (β = -0.94; 95% CI, -1.46 to -0.42) and educational attainment (β = -1.00, 95% CI, -1.57 to -0.44) had a higher level of AD and MD comorbidity, while larger intracranial (β = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.64) and smaller putamen volumes (β = -1.16; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.46) were associated with higher risks of AD and MD comorbidity.Conclusions and relevanceSEMA3A variation is significantly and replicably associated with comorbid AD and MD in African American participants. Analyses of polygenic risk scores identified pleiotropy with neuropsychiatric traits and brain volumes. Further studies are warranted to understand the biological and genetic mechanisms of this comorbidity, which could facilitate development of medications and other treatments for comorbid AD and MD.

Dataset Information

Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium.

Publications

Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium.

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