Evidence for interplay between genes and maternal stress in utero: monoamine oxidase A polymorphism moderates effects of life events during pregnancy on infant negative emotionality at 5 weeks

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evidence for interplay between genes and maternal stress in utero

T2 - monoamine oxidase A polymorphism moderates effects of life events during pregnancy on infant negative emotionality at 5 weeks

AU - Hill, J

AU - Breen, G

AU - Quinn, J

AU - Tibu, F

AU - Sharp, H

AU - Pickles, A

PY - 2013/6

Y1 - 2013/6

N2 - The low activity variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) functional promoter polymorphism, MAOA-LPR, in interaction with adverse environments (GxE) is associated with child and adult antisocial behaviour disorders. MAOA is expressed during foetal development so in utero GxE may influence early neurodevelopment. We tested the hypothesis that MAOA GxE during pregnancy predicts infant negative emotionality soon after birth. In an epidemiological longitudinal study starting in pregnancy, using a two stage stratified design, we ascertained MAOA-LPR status (low vs. high activity variants) from the saliva of 209 infants (104 boys and 105 girls), and examined predictions to observed infant negative emotionality at 5weeks post-partum from life events during pregnancy. In analyses weighted to provide estimates for the general population, and including possible confounders for life events, there was an MAOA status by life events interaction (P=0.017). There was also an interaction between MAOA status and neighbourhood deprivation (P=0.028). Both interactions arose from a greater effect of increasing life events on negative emotionality in the MAOA-LPR low activity, compared with MAOA-LPR high activity infants. The study provides the first evidence of moderation by MAOA-LPR of the effect of the social environment in pregnancy on negative emotionality in infancy, an early risk for the development of child and adult antisocial behaviour disorders.

AB - The low activity variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) functional promoter polymorphism, MAOA-LPR, in interaction with adverse environments (GxE) is associated with child and adult antisocial behaviour disorders. MAOA is expressed during foetal development so in utero GxE may influence early neurodevelopment. We tested the hypothesis that MAOA GxE during pregnancy predicts infant negative emotionality soon after birth. In an epidemiological longitudinal study starting in pregnancy, using a two stage stratified design, we ascertained MAOA-LPR status (low vs. high activity variants) from the saliva of 209 infants (104 boys and 105 girls), and examined predictions to observed infant negative emotionality at 5weeks post-partum from life events during pregnancy. In analyses weighted to provide estimates for the general population, and including possible confounders for life events, there was an MAOA status by life events interaction (P=0.017). There was also an interaction between MAOA status and neighbourhood deprivation (P=0.028). Both interactions arose from a greater effect of increasing life events on negative emotionality in the MAOA-LPR low activity, compared with MAOA-LPR high activity infants. The study provides the first evidence of moderation by MAOA-LPR of the effect of the social environment in pregnancy on negative emotionality in infancy, an early risk for the development of child and adult antisocial behaviour disorders.

KW - Infancy

KW - life events

KW - MAOA polymorphism

KW - negative emotionality

KW - pregnancy

KW - ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY-DISORDER

KW - ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS

KW - POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

KW - PHYSICAL AGGRESSION

KW - CONDUCT DISORDERS

KW - MAOA GENOTYPE

KW - MENTAL-HEALTH

KW - BIRTH COHORT

KW - BEHAVIOR

KW - ABUSE

U2 - 10.1111/gbb.12033

DO - 10.1111/gbb.12033

M3 - Article

C2 - 23480342

SN - 1601-1848

VL - 12

SP - 388

EP - 396

JO - Genes, Brain and Behavior

JF - Genes, Brain and Behavior

IS - 4

ER -