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 (r

SUBMITTER: Polimanti R 

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

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature