The role of allelic variation in estrogen receptor genes and major depression in the Nurses Health Study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The role of exogenous and endogenous sex hormones in the etiology of depression remains elusive, in part because sex hormone variation is often correlated with behaviors, life stage changes, and other factors that may influence depression. Estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and beta (ESR2) are known to regulate gene expression and estrogen response in areas of the brain associated with major depression and are unlikely to be correlated with exogenous factors that may influence depression.

Methods

We examined whether functional polymorphisms in these genes are associated with lifetime major depression and chronic major depression among a sample of women from the Nurses' Health Study II (N = 2527). DSM-IV depressive disorder symptoms were assessed by structured interview i

SUBMITTER: Keyes K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4655148 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature