Salivary cortisol in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder
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Salivary cortisol in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder. / Vinberg, Maj; Bennike, Bente; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Andersen, Per Kragh; Kessing, Lars Vedel.
In: Psychiatry Research, Vol. 161, No. 3, 2008, p. 292-301.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Salivary cortisol in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder
AU - Vinberg, Maj
AU - Bennike, Bente
AU - Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm
AU - Andersen, Per Kragh
AU - Kessing, Lars Vedel
N1 - Keywords: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Circadian Rhythm; Depressive Disorder; Diseases in Twins; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Life Change Events; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Risk Factors; Saliva
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a biological endophenotype for affective disorders. In the present study the hypothesis that a high genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with higher cortisol levels was tested in a cross-sectional high-risk study. Healthy monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High-Risk twins) and without (Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. Awakening and evening salivary cortisol levels were compared between the 190 High- and Low-Risk twins. The 109 High-Risk twins had significantly higher evening cortisol levels than the 81 Low-Risk MZ twins, also after adjustment for age, sex, and the level of subclinical depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in awakening cortisol levels between High-Risk and Low-Risk twins. In conclusion, a high genetic liability to affective disorder was associated with a higher evening cortisol level, but not with awakening cortisol level. Future prospective family, high-risk and twin studies are needed to decide whether abnormalities in the HPA axis can be identified as an endophenotype of affective disorder.
AB - Dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a biological endophenotype for affective disorders. In the present study the hypothesis that a high genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with higher cortisol levels was tested in a cross-sectional high-risk study. Healthy monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High-Risk twins) and without (Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. Awakening and evening salivary cortisol levels were compared between the 190 High- and Low-Risk twins. The 109 High-Risk twins had significantly higher evening cortisol levels than the 81 Low-Risk MZ twins, also after adjustment for age, sex, and the level of subclinical depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in awakening cortisol levels between High-Risk and Low-Risk twins. In conclusion, a high genetic liability to affective disorder was associated with a higher evening cortisol level, but not with awakening cortisol level. Future prospective family, high-risk and twin studies are needed to decide whether abnormalities in the HPA axis can be identified as an endophenotype of affective disorder.
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.08.001
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 18977033
VL - 161
SP - 292
EP - 301
JO - Psychiatry Research
JF - Psychiatry Research
SN - 0165-1781
IS - 3
ER -
ID: 11480507